Bunsen solubility coefficient
Encyclopedia
The Bunsen solubility coefficient or Bunsen absorption coefficient (α), named for Robert Bunsen
, is one of a number of units used to describe the solubility
of gases in liquids. It is frequently used in physiology
.
The Bunsen coefficient is defined as the volume of gas, reduced to 273.15 K (0 °C) and 101.3 kPa, which is absorbed
(under equilibrium) per unit volume of a pure liquid solvent at a specified temperature, under the partial pressure
of the gas of 101.3 kPa.
The units of volume are unimportant as long as they are the same, but often cm3 are used. In the SI system, the Bunsen coefficient is dimensionless.
Robert Bunsen
Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen was a German chemist. He investigated emission spectra of heated elements, and discovered caesium and rubidium with Gustav Kirchhoff. Bunsen developed several gas-analytical methods, was a pioneer in photochemistry, and did early work in the field of organoarsenic...
, is one of a number of units used to describe the solubility
Solubility
Solubility is the property of a solid, liquid, or gaseous chemical substance called solute to dissolve in a solid, liquid, or gaseous solvent to form a homogeneous solution of the solute in the solvent. The solubility of a substance fundamentally depends on the used solvent as well as on...
of gases in liquids. It is frequently used in physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
.
The Bunsen coefficient is defined as the volume of gas, reduced to 273.15 K (0 °C) and 101.3 kPa, which is absorbed
Absorption
Absorption may refer to:- Chemistry and biology :* Absorption , absorption of particles of gas or liquid in liquid or solid material* Absorption , a route by which substances can enter the body through the skin...
(under equilibrium) per unit volume of a pure liquid solvent at a specified temperature, under the partial pressure
Partial pressure
In a mixture of ideal gases, each gas has a partial pressure which is the pressure which the gas would have if it alone occupied the volume. The total pressure of a gas mixture is the sum of the partial pressures of each individual gas in the mixture....
of the gas of 101.3 kPa.
The units of volume are unimportant as long as they are the same, but often cm3 are used. In the SI system, the Bunsen coefficient is dimensionless.