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The molecular mass of oxygen gas is 32 and the molecular mass of methane is 16. The methane will tend to rise and mix, leaving plenty of oxygen near the surface
by jeffdavis 7y ago
The molecular mass of oxygen gas is 32 and the molecular mass of methane is 16. The methane will tend to rise and mix, leaving plenty of oxygen near the surface. It's unlikely to asphyxiate humans unless it happens really, really fast.
People and animals have been asphyxiated by massive CO2 releases because they can happen very quickly, and CO2 has a molecular mass of 44, making it stay near the ground for longer, displacing lighter oxygen and nitrogen gases.
- forkandwait 7y agoIsn't density not mass the issue? Methane still floats above air using density from the internets, though I wonder about mixing 0.656 kg/m³ methane 1.98 kg/m3 carbon dioxide 1.225 kg/m3 air.
- teraflop 7y agoAtmospheric gases under typical conditions behave pretty much like ideal gases, which means it doesn't matter whether you talk about density or molecular mass; they're directly proportional to each other. And the molecular mass is independent of temperature and pressure.