henry's law: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very LowTechnical, Scientific
Quick answer
What does “henry's law” mean?
A scientific principle stating that at a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas that dissolves in a given type and volume of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A scientific principle stating that at a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas that dissolves in a given type and volume of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid.
It is a fundamental physical chemistry law used to quantify gas solubility, primarily applied to gases that do not react chemically with the solvent. It is foundational in fields like chemical engineering, oceanography, and environmental science.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage or formulation of the law. Potential minor spelling differences in surrounding text (e.g., 'behaviour' vs. 'behavior').
Connotations
None; purely technical.
Frequency
Identically rare and confined to specific technical fields in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “henry's law” in a Sentence
[Subject] is described by Henry's law.The solubility of [gas] follows Henry's law.One can apply Henry's law to [situation].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “henry's law” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The system's behaviour can be henry's-law-modelled for an initial estimate.
American English
- Engineers often Henry's-law-calculate the expected gas uptake.
adjective
British English
- The process requires a Henry's-law constant for carbon dioxide.
American English
- We observed a non-Henry's-law behaviour in the high-pressure regime.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, and environmental science textbooks and papers.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Core concept in process design, environmental modelling (e.g., gas exchange in oceans), and brewing (carbonation).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “henry's law”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “henry's law”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “henry's law”
- Incorrectly capitalising as 'Henry's Law' in running text where it is not a title.
- Confusing it with Raoult's law, which deals with the vapour pressure of liquid mixtures.
- Using it for gases that chemically react with the solvent (e.g., HCl in water).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is named after the English chemist William Henry, who formulated it in the early 19th century.
No, it is most accurate for gases that do not dissociate or react chemically with the solvent at low to moderate pressures.
It is a proportionality constant (often denoted k_H) specific to a particular gas-solvent pair at a given temperature. It represents the solubility of the gas.
Henry's law describes the solubility of a gas in a liquid. Raoult's law describes the vapour pressure of an ideal liquid mixture (e.g., ethanol and water).
A scientific principle stating that at a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas that dissolves in a given type and volume of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in equilibrium with that liquid.
Henry's law is usually technical, scientific in register.
Henry's law: in British English it is pronounced /ˈhɛnriz lɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈhɛnriz lɔ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
**H**ow **E**asily **N**itrogen **R**esolves in **Y**our **S**oda? Remember, more pressure (**Law**) means more gas gets in.
Conceptual Metaphor
PRESSURE IS A PUSHING FORCE FOR DISSOLUTION (The gas is 'pushed' into the liquid by the pressure).
Practice
Quiz
Henry's law is most accurately applied to which of the following scenarios?