Question

The solubility of oxygen in water is temperature and pressure dependent?

(a) True

(b) False

I have been asked this question by my college professor while I was bunking the class.

My question comes from Estimating Oxygen Solubility topic in portion Mass Transfer of Bioprocess Engineering

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(a) True

The solubility of oxygen in water is indeed temperature and pressure dependent.

• Temperature: As temperature increases, the solubility of gases in water generally decreases. This is because higher temperatures provide more energy to gas molecules, making them more likely to escape from the water into the air.

• Pressure: According to Henry's Law, the solubility of a gas is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid. As pressure increases, more gas can dissolve into the liquid.

This principle is especially important in processes like aeration in bioreactors, where oxygen solubility impacts microbial growth and fermentation rates.