A breathalyzer measures volume % ethanol in gases exhaled from the lungs. Calibration relates it to...

A breathalyzer measures volume % ethanol in gases exhaled from the lungs. Calibration relates it to volume % ethanol in the bloodstream. Use VLE concepts to develop an approximate relation between the two quantities. Numerous assumptions are required; state and justify them where possible.

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Expert Solution

so the basic chemistry behind a breathalyzer is the following redox reaction.

2 Cr2O7^2- + 3 C2H5OH + 16 H+ -> 4 Cr³⁺ + 3 CH₃CO₂ H + 11 H2O.

Cr oxidizes the ethanol in our breath to acetic acid and reduces itself to Cr³⁺ which is green in color. By the help of standard solution of dichromate of a common spectrophotometer, the concentration of ethanol in the breath can be known which is 1.5 times of the concentration of Cr ions reduces.

It is assumed that the concentration of ethanol in breath is directly proportional to the concentration of ethanol in blood. (to ease out the calculations) under the margin of error, which might not be the case as if you have drunk very recently, your breath will have a higher concentration of ethanol than your blood.

Secondly, there are chewing gums and other eatables which have enough amount of ethanol to be detected by breath, though you may not find a proportional amount of ethanol in the blood.

queen_honey_blossom answered 1 year ago

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