Solubility of Carbon Dioxide
SOLUBILITY= the property of a solid, liquid or gas to dissolve in another liquid.
Equipment
Two large bottles of identical fizzy drink
A fridge or freezer
Method
1. Keep one bottle out of the fridge or freezer and put the other in the fridge/freezer for about an hour.
2. Take the bottle out of the fridge/freezer.
3. Immediately open both bottles SEPARATELY and listen to the fizzing noise made by each. The solubility of the carbon dioxide in water increases as the temperature decreases. So the water in the bottle put in the freezer will have absorbed more CO2 from the air above it, and hence there will be less pressure of CO2. This is very important in the atmosphere system.
How does this affect the atmosphere?
By the same token, the solubility of carbon dioxide in water decreases as the temperature of the water increases. This is important for the climate system because as the oceans warm, carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is released into the atmosphere. This is known as a positive feedback mechanism. The release of CO2 into the atmosphere could lead to increased trapping of heat from the Earth.
