The Solubility of Carbon Dioxide Gas in Water Can Be Increased by

Carbon Dioxide in Equilibrium

Carbon Dioxide in the Ocean

The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been increasing since the beginning of the industrial revolution due to increased combustion of fossil fuels. Much of the carbon dioxide that has been released dissolves in the ocean.

We tin apply Henry's Constabulary to calculate the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide in an aqueous solution. The electric current, average concentration of CO_two is 387 ppm, that is 387 x 10^-6 atm.

[CO₂] = P/K_H = 3.87 x 10^-4 atm/29.41 atm M^-one = 1.32 ten ten^-v One thousand

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Dissociation of Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide reacts with water. The carbon atom of CO₂ is electron poor with an oxidation state of IV. The electron rich oxygen of h2o donates an electron pair to the carbon. After proton transfer from h2o to an oxygen of the CO₂ unit, carbonic acid is formed.

The reaction betwixt h2o and dissolved carbon dioxide is reversible and rapid.

Carbonic acrid is in equilibrium with the bicarbonate anion.

We can combine the ii equilibria:

Because the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide is set by Henry'south Law, nosotros can use this to make up one's mind the concentration of protons and bicarbonate ion in water.

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Temperature Dependence As with other gases, the solubility of carbon dioxide in water decreases as the temperature increases. You tin can see this for yourself past observing what happens when you heat a can of soda. Equally the temperature of the oceans increases with increasing global temperature (caused past greenhouse gases), carbon dioxide will tend to outgas from the oceans. This will increase the atmospheric concentration of CO2, causing further increases in temperature of the atmosphere, etc.

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Source: http://butane.chem.uiuc.edu/pshapley/genchem1/L23/3.html