Comparison of the Effects of Increased CO₂ in the Air to Seawater and Distilled Water

• This experiment compares the way that seawater and distilled water absorb carbon dioxide from the air.

Positives

• The resource offers teachers several methods for graphing the data collected during the experiment.
• The resource includes a diagram and a photo of the setup.

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should be familiar with the pH scale.
• Teachers will need a big transparent basin or a big aquarium, 2 500 ml-beakers, 2 pH Meters, an aquarium pump, plastic tubing, and 2 airstones with regulator valves, seawater, distilled water, 5 candles, a box of matches, and a stopwatch.
• Teachers can make a seawater solution by combining sea salt and water.

Differentiation

• Chemistry classes could discuss how a body of water's alkalinity can either help or harm it when faced with higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
• Teachers may want to show students this Khan Academy video on ocean acidification and discuss how the alkalinity of ocean water normally allows it to be a carbon sink, but how the dramatic increase in carbon dioxide emissions has impacted the acidity of the ocean water.

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.