How many cubic feet of gas does 1 cubic foot of liquid oxygen produced at -183C yield at 21C?

• A. 500 cubic ft
• B. 720 cubic ft
• C. 860 cubic ft
• D. 1000 cubic ft

Answer: (C)

To understand how many cubic feet of gas are produced from 1 cubic foot of liquid oxygen when it is vaporized from -183°C to 21°C, it's important to consider the physical properties of oxygen and the ideal gas law.

Liquid oxygen is highly compressed and occupies a much smaller volume compared to its gaseous state. Upon warming to room temperature, liquid oxygen expands significantly as it transitions from a liquid phase to a gaseous phase. The conversion factor for liquid oxygen to gas is well-established.

At atmospheric pressure and when liquid oxygen vaporizes, approximately 1 cubic foot of liquid oxygen produces around 860 cubic feet of gaseous oxygen. This value reflects the fact that gaseous oxygen has a much greater volume due to the decrease in density when transitioning from liquid to gas.

Thus, the answer of 860 cubic feet accurately represents the volume of gas derived from vaporizing 1 cubic foot of liquid oxygen under the specified temperature conditions. This conversion factor is critical for calculations involving oxygen delivery in medical and industrial applications, as it demonstrates the efficiency of utilizing liquid oxygen for storage and transport.