Henry’s Law of 1803

Billi – Boiling, Chilled, Sparkling and Brilliant

Why A Law Formulated in 1803 Still Applies in 2015

In 1803 a scientist named William Henry formulated a new law which soon became known as Henry’s Law. He discovered 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 derived the equation to explain his law:

C =kPgas

where

• C is the solubility of a gas at a fixed temperature in a particular solvent (in units of M or mL gas/L)
• k is Henry’s law constant (often in units of M/atm)
• Pgas is the partial pressure of the gas (often in units of Atm)

To most of us this doesn’t mean much, but the law actually affects us in everyday life. Perhaps one of the most common current examples of Henry’s Law is found in sparkling water. Sometimes known as soda water, fizzy water or carbonated water this product has a strong following in Europe. Consumption in the UK declined in the 70’s and 80’s but recently has seen an increase in popularity.

For 2015 Billi has launched a sparkling option to complement it’s boiling and chilled water ranges and is already noting a huge growth in sales of the new Quadra Sparkling.

What is not often realised is the health benefits of sparkling water. A 2004 report concluded that the risk of cholestrol induced heart disease reduced significantly through the consumption of sparkling water.

The Health Benefits Associated with Sparkling Water

The British Journal of Nutrition reported that the research involved the participants consuming sparkling water for 2 months, then still water for 2 months. During the study, the participants underwent a number of tests including blood pressure checks and measurement of a variety of blood components including cholesterol. The risk of heart disease was calculated to reduce over 10 years by up to a third. S

Read more about Henry’s Law here

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