During a person’s typical breathing cycle, the CO2 concentration in the expired air rises to a peak of 4.6% by volume. (b) What is the molarity of the CO2 in the expired air at its peak, assuming a body temperature of 37 °C?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Convert the percentage by volume of CO2 to a fraction by dividing by 100. This gives the volume fraction of CO2 in the expired air.
2. Use the ideal gas law, PV = nRT, to relate the volume fraction to molarity. Assume the pressure is 1 atm and convert the temperature from Celsius to Kelvin by adding 273.15 to 37 °C.
3. Calculate the volume of 1 mole of gas at 37 °C and 1 atm using the ideal gas law. This will give you the volume in liters that 1 mole of gas occupies under these conditions.
4. Determine the number of moles of CO2 in the expired air by multiplying the volume fraction of CO2 by the volume of 1 mole of gas calculated in the previous step.
5. Calculate the molarity of CO2 by dividing the number of moles of CO2 by the volume of the gas in liters. This will give you the molarity of CO2 in the expired air.