Henry's law

American

noun

Thermodynamics.

the principle that at a constant temperature the concentration of a gas dissolved in a fluid with which it does not combine chemically is almost directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas at the surface of the fluid.

Henry's law British

noun

chem the principle that the amount of a gas dissolved at equilibrium in a given quantity of a liquid is proportional to the pressure of the gas in contact with the liquid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Henry's law

1885–90; named after William Henry (1774–1836), English chemist who devised it

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The civil lawsuit was filed by Henry's law firm on Thursday in Harris County, Texas and seeks up to $2 billion in damages.

From Fox News • Nov. 19, 2021

Use Henry’s law to determine the solubility of this gaseous solute when its pressure is 760 torr.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Henry’s law states that the amount of a specific gas that dissolves in a liquid is a function of its partial pressure.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013

The rate at which this occurs follows Henry’s law, a physics rule that states that the solubility of gas in a liquid is proportional to the pressure of the gas above the liquid.

From Slate • Jun. 18, 2013

The gas does not obey Henry’s law, that is, its solubility in water is not proportional to its pressure.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023