At 1 atm pressure, a specific gas has a vapor pressure of 20 mmHg. What will be its vapor pressure at 2 atm?

The vapor pressure of a gas is influenced by the temperature and the nature of the gas itself, but it is also important to consider that vapor pressure is a measure of the tendency of a substance to evaporate. Under the same temperature conditions, the vapor pressure of a specific gas remains constant regardless of the surrounding pressure until it reaches its boiling point.

At 1 atm, the vapor pressure is 20 mmHg. If the pressure increases to 2 atm, the behavior of the gas can be analyzed using the principles of gas laws, particularly in contexts where the vapor pressure is considered in relation to total external pressure. The increase in surrounding pressure affects the behavior of the gas, potentially allowing it to remain in a gaseous state instead of condensing. This effect is particularly relevant in gas-liquid systems.

In this scenario, the vapor pressure of the gas does not actually double with the increase in atmospheric pressure. Instead, it remains at its intrinsic value of 20 mmHg. However, in certain theoretical calculations involving partial pressures and assuming ideal behavior, the doubling of the total pressure could lead to a consideration of a total vapor pressure scenario, but this is not typical of vapor pressure derived from the intrinsic behavior of a pure substance.

Thus, while theoretically