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Atmosphere of Titan. Titan, the largest satellite of Saturn, has a thick nitrogen atmosphere. At its surface, the pressure is 1.5 Earth-atmospheres and the temperature is 94 \(\mathrm{K}\) . (a) What is the surface temperature in \(^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) ? (b) Calculate the surface density in Titar's atmosphere in molecules per cubic meter (c) Compare the density of Titan's surface atmosphere to the density of Earth's atmosphere at \(22^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) . Which body has denser atmosphere?

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) \(-179.15 \,^{\circ}\text{C}\), (b) \(1.19 \times 10^{26}\text{ molecules/m}^3\), (c) Titan's atmosphere is denser.

Step by step solution

01

Convert temperature to Celsius

We start with the surface temperature given in Kelvin, which is 94 K. To convert it to degrees Celsius, use the formula: \[ T_{\text{C}} = T_{\text{K}} - 273.15 \]Substitute 94 for \( T_{\text{K}} \):\[ T_{\text{C}} = 94 - 273.15 = -179.15 \,^{\circ}\text{C} \]
02

Find surface density in molecules per cubic meter

We apply the ideal gas law, which is given by:\[ PV = nRT \] where \( P \) is the pressure, \( V \) is the volume, \( n \) is the number of moles, \( R \) is the ideal gas constant, and \( T \) is the temperature in Kelvin. We rearrange it to find density, \( \rho \), using \( \rho = \frac{nM}{V} = \frac{PM}{RT} \), where M is the molar mass of nitrogen (28.02 kg/kmol. Given \( P = 1.5 \) atm = 152 kPa after converting (1 atm = 101.3 kPa), \( T = 94 \) K, and \( R = 8.314 \, J/(mol \cdot K) \). The density \( \rho \) in kg/m^3 is:\[ \rho = \frac{152 \times 28.02}{8.314 \times 94} \approx 5.51 \, \text{kg/m}^3 \] Each nitrogen molecule has a mass of approximately \( 4.65 \times 10^{-26} \) kg, thus density in molecules/m³ is:\[ \rho = \frac{5.511}{4.65 \times 10^{-26}} \approx 1.19 \times 10^{26} \, \text{molecules/m}^3 \]
03

Compare with Earth's atmosphere density

To compare, first calculate Earth's atmosphere density at \( 22^{\circ}\text{C} \). Convert Celsius to Kelvin: \[ T_{\text{K}} = 22 + 273.15 = 295.15 \,K \]Approximate density of Earth's atmosphere using ideal gas law is known to be about 1.2 kg/m³. With similar calculations: \[ \rho_{\text{Earth}} = \frac{101.3 \times 28.97}{8.314 \times 295.15} \approx 1.2 \, \text{kg/m}^3 \] Since Titan's density (5.51 kg/m³) is much higher than Earth's (1.2 kg/m³), Titan's atmosphere is denser.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Titan Atmosphere
Titan, Saturn's biggest moon, catches interest due to its thick, nitrogen-rich atmosphere. Unlike any other moon, Titan's atmosphere is even denser than Earth's.
  • The surface pressure is measured at about 1.5 times that of Earth's, indicating a substantial gaseous envelop.
  • Nitrogen dominates Titan's atmosphere composition, similar to Earth but much frostier.
Given these challenges, Titan presents an intriguing case study for atmospheric sciences, drawing comparisons with Earth to understand planetary atmospheres better.
Ideal Gas Law
The Ideal Gas Law is a fundamental principle in understanding how gases behave under various conditions. It is formally expressed as:\[ PV = nRT \]where:- \( P \) is the pressure,- \( V \) is the volume,- \( n \) is the number of moles,- \( R \) is the ideal gas constant, and- \( T \) is the temperature in Kelvin.In essence, this equation allows scientists to predict one state of a gas if the others are known. On Titan, by knowing its atmospheric pressure and surface temperature, one can estimate the number of gas molecules present.
Surface Pressure
Surface pressure provides insight into the thickness and density of an atmosphere. Titan's surface pressure is 1.5 times that of Earth's standard atmospheric pressure.
  • Pressurized atmospheres like these imply a heavier load of gases above the surface.
  • This leads to denser, more substantial atmospheric compositions compared to less pressurized bodies.
Understanding surface pressure is critical not only in weather prediction but also in comprehending the environmental conditions and potential habitability of celestial bodies.
Temperature Conversion
Temperature conversion is essential when dealing with scientific data. In this context, converting from Kelvin to Celsius is routine for understanding temperatures in a human context. The conversion formula from Kelvin to Celsius is:\[ T_{C} = T_{K} - 273.15 \]Using this equation, Titan's surface temperature of 94 Kelvin converts to:\[ T_{C} = 94 - 273.15 = -179.15 \,^{\circ}C \]Such extreme temperatures highlight the frigid conditions on Titan, which influence its atmospheric behavior and chemical processes.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Three moles of an ideal gas are in a rigid cubical box with sides of length 0.200 \(\mathrm{m}\) . (a) What is the force that the gas exerts on each of the six sides of the box when the gas temperature is \(20.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C} ?\) (b) What is the force when the temperature of the gas is increased to \(100.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) ?

A vertical cylindrical tank contains 1.80 \(\mathrm{mol}\) of an ideal gas under a pressure of 1.00 atm at \(20.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) . The round part of the tank has a radius of \(10.0 \mathrm{cm},\) and the gas is supporting a piston that can move up and down in the cylinder without friction. (a) What is the mass of this piston? (b) How tall is the column of gas that is supporting the piston?

The gas inside a balloon will always have a pressure nearly equal to atnospheric pressure, since that is the pressure applied to the outside of the balloon. You fill a balloon with helium (a nearly ideal gas to a volume of 0.600 \(\mathrm{L}\) at a tenperature of \(19.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C} .\) What is the volume of the balloon if you cool it to the boiling point of liguid nitrogen \((77.3 \mathrm{K}) ?\)

Modern vacuum pumps make it easy to attain pressures of the order of \(10^{-13}\) atm in the laboratory. (a) At a pressure of \(9.00 \times 10^{-14}\) am and an ordinary temperature of \(300.0 \mathrm{K},\) how many inolecules are present in a volume of 1.00 \(\mathrm{cm}^{3} ?\) (b) How many molecules would be present at the same temperature but at 1.00 atm instead?

The surface of the sun has a temperature of about 5800 \(\mathrm{K}\) and consists largely of hydrogen atoms. (a) Find the rms speed of a hydrogen atom at this temperature. (The mass of a single hydrogen atom is 1.67 \(\times 10^{-27} \mathrm{kg} . )\) (b) The escape speed for a particle to leave the gravitational influence of the sun is given by \((2 G M / R)^{1 / 2}\) , where \(M\) is the sun's mass, \(R\) its radius, and \(G\) the gravitational constant (see Example 12.5 of Section \(12.3 ) .\) Use the data in Appendix \(\mathrm{F}\) to calculate this escape speed. (c) Can appreciable quantities of hydrogen escape from the sun? Can any hydrogen escape? Explain.

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