How is partial pressure calculated for a specific gas?

Partial pressure is calculated for a specific gas using the concept of mole fraction, which represents the fraction of the total number of moles that is contributed by that specific gas. The partial pressure of a gas in a mixture can be determined by multiplying the mole fraction of the gas by the total pressure of the gas mixture. This relationship is rooted in Dalton's Law of Partial Pressures, which states that in a mixture of gases, each gas exerts a pressure independently of the others.

To illustrate this, if you have a gas mixture that consists of several gases, each gas will have a partial pressure that is proportional to its amount (in moles) relative to the total amount of gas present in the mixture. Thus, the partial pressure of the specific gas is the product of its mole fraction and the total pressure exerted by the entire gas mixture. This approach allows you to quantify the contribution of each gas to the overall pressure.