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What Happens To The Partial Pressure Of Oxygen In A Sample Of Air If The Temperature Is Increased? — Reading Comprehension

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This engaging and audio-integrated reading passage, designed for Grade 6, explores the fascinating relationship between temperature and the partial pressure of oxygen in an air sample. Students will learn how increasing the temperature affects the movement of gas particles and, consequently, the pressure exerted by oxygen. Key concepts like kinetic energy, atmosphere, and gas laws are introduced in simple language. This content supports an understanding of the cycling of carbon within Earth's systems, aligning with NGSS HS-ESS2-6 by providing foundational knowledge of atmospheric processes. The passage also includes relevant SEO keywords to enhance discoverability.

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Gas molecules bounce faster in heated container, increasing partial and total pressure. — Heating boosts kinetic energy, raising partial pressures of oxygen and nitrogen in air.

Imagine you have a sealed container filled with air. This air isn't just one thing; it's a mixture of different gases. The most important gases for us are nitrogen and oxygen. Each gas in this mixture has its own pressure, almost as if it were the only gas in the container. This individual pressure is called partial pressure. So, oxygen has its own partial pressure, and nitrogen has its own.

Now, let's think about what happens when you heat up this container of air. When you increase the temperature, you're giving more energy to the tiny particles, or molecules, of gas inside. Think of these molecules as tiny bouncy balls. When they get more energy, they start moving much faster and bouncing around with more force. This extra energy that causes them to move is called kinetic energy.

As the oxygen molecules move faster, they hit the inside walls of the container more often and with greater force. Each time a molecule hits a wall, it creates a tiny push, or pressure. When these pushes happen more frequently and with more strength, the overall pressure that oxygen exerts on the container walls increases. Therefore, if the temperature is increased, the partial pressure of oxygen in the air sample will also increase. This is a fundamental concept in atmospheric science and helps us understand how gases behave in Earth's atmosphere.

This same idea applies to all the other gases in the air mixture too. So, if the temperature goes up, the partial pressure of nitrogen will also increase, and the total pressure of the air will go up because all the gases are pushing harder on the container. Understanding how temperature affects gas pressure is important for many things, like weather patterns and even how your car tires work!

Interesting Fact: Even though oxygen is crucial for us, nitrogen makes up about 78% of the air we breathe, while oxygen is only about 21%!

What is the individual pressure of a gas in a mixture called?

Total pressurePartial pressureAir pressureGas pressure

What percentage of the air we breathe is nitrogen?

21%50%78%90%

True or False: Increasing temperature makes gas molecules move slower.

TrueFalse

What happens to the oxygen molecules when temperature increases?

They slow downThey move fasterThey get largerThey disappear

Why does increased temperature lead to higher partial pressure?

Molecules get smallerFewer wall collisionsStronger wall collisionsMolecules combine

Which type of energy increases with faster molecule movement?