Atmospheric pressure at the summit of Mount Everest is about one third the pressure at sea level, which is 760 mm Hg. What is the partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂) at the summit of Mount Everest if oxygen makes up 21% of the atmosphere by volume at both locations?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

At sea level, the partial pressure of oxygen is 21% of 760 mm Hg, which is 160 mm Hg. At the summit of Mount Everest, the atmospheric pressure is about one third of that at sea level, so the partial pressure of oxygen would be one third of 160 mm Hg, which is approximately 53 mm Hg.

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