According to Henry's Law, how does gas solubility in a liquid change with partial pressure?

Henry's Law states that the amount of gas dissolved in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas above the liquid. This means that as the partial pressure increases, the solubility of the gas in the liquid also increases. This relationship can be mathematically represented as ( C = k_H \cdot P ), where ( C ) is the concentration of the dissolved gas, ( k_H ) is Henry's Law constant for the specific gas at a given temperature, and ( P ) is the partial pressure of the gas.

Therefore, if you increase the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid, more gas molecules will enter the liquid until an equilibrium is reached, resulting in greater solubility. This principle is especially important in applications such as diving, where the increased pressure from being underwater affects the amount of gas, like nitrogen, that can dissolve in a diver's body. Understanding this relationship is crucial for managing the risks of decompression sickness, where too much nitrogen can lead to dangerous bubble formation in body tissues upon ascent.