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acidification is when CO2 from the atmosphere gets into the ocean and creates carbonic acid. As this continues, the ocean's acidity will double by the end of the century and will have a major effect of sea life (high acidity dissolves the shells of phytoplankton (key stone creatures)). Experimental Question: What will happen to the saltwater after we blow and it absorbs CO2? Pre-Lab Questions: 1. What gas are you blowing into the water? The gas that is being blown into the saltwater is carbon dioxide, CO2. 2. What happens to the gas when you blow it in the water? As CO2 is being blown into the saltwater, the saltwater is absorbing the CO2. 3. How are you measuring change in the water during the lab? The change of the saltwater is being measured by the change of the color. 4. What does measuring the pH of the water tell us? Measuring the pH of the saltwater tells how acidic the saltwater is. 5. After studying reactions above, how do you think carbonic acid will affect the pH of salt water? Carbonic affects the saltwater by lowering its pH, making it acidic. Hypothesis: If I blow CO2 into the saltwater, then the saltwater's pH will decrease. Protocol: Control: The control of the experiment was the saltwater. 100 mL of saltwater was poured into a 200mL beaker. 4 drops of the universal indicator was out into the water and saran wrap was put over the opening of beaker. A straw was stuck through the saran wrap and into the beaker and one of the members of my group blew into it for 2 min. My group's choice for 2nd measurement was hot saltwater. Everything we did in the control was the same except for regular saltwater being replaced by the hot saltwater. The dependent variable was the pH after the 2 min. mark, the independent variable was the type of water put into the beaker, and the constants were the amount of water and type of saran wrap used in experiment. Data Table:
Saltwater (control)
pH Color
0 sec 7.5 Dark Blue/Green 7.5 Dark Blue/Green 7.5 Dark Blue/Green 7.5 Green
1 min 30 sec 6.5 Light Yellow/Green 6 Yellow 6.5 Light Yellow/Green 6 Yellow
2 min 6.5 Light Yellow Green 6 Yellow 6.5 Light Yellow/Green 6 Yellow
Cold Saltwater
pH Color
Hot Saltwater
pH Color
Tap Water
pH Color 6.5 Yellow Green Yellow
Graph:
Data Analysis: 1. As you blew through the straw, what were you adding to the water and how did that change the pH? As CO2 was being blown through the straw, the pH of the saltwater decreased. 2. What did the universal indicator tell us about the water? The universal indicator told the pH of the water. 3. What does this tell us about the effects of carbonic acid in the ocean water? This tells us that when carbonic acid forms when CO2 enters the ocean, the ocean water becomes more acidic. 4. Based on the results of your experimental protocol, which factor affects the pH of the water most, temperature or salt? Based on the results of experimental protocol, temperature affects pH of water the most. Conclusion: My hypothesis in the beginning was correct. It stated, "If I blew CO2 into the saltwater, then the saltwater's pH will decrease." That is exactly what happened. On the pH scale, any number below 7 is acidic. The pH of the saltwater (control) started out as 7.5 and ended at 6. As I blew CO2 into the water, it got more acidic. This experiment was mirror image of what is happening in the ocean. As CO2 goes into the ocean from the atmosphere, it becomes carbonic acid making life for sea life harder (sea life uses some of the CO2 in the ocean, but too much will harm them).
Ocean Acidification Lab (Shell Protocol) Title: The Dissolving of Shells Due to High Rate of CO2 Introduction: Some organisms in the ocean have shells made of calcium carbonate (CaCo3). As the ocean becomes more acidic, those shells will dissolve because the organism is now absorbing more carbon the calcium carbonate and will have less energy to rebuild their shells. Since they will no longer have shells, those organisms will become exposed to predators. Experimental Question: Will shells dissolve in regular saltwater or in vinegar faster? Pre-Lab Questions: 1. How do organisms make their shells? What are shells made of? Organisms develop their shells by combining calcium and carbon in the ocean. Their shells are made of calcium carbonate. 2. What do you expect to happen to the shell in an acidic solution such as vinegar? If a shell is put into an acidic solution such as vinegar, I would expect it to dissolve. 3. Ware sources of carbon dioxide and which of these sources are most likely to affect ocean pH? A source of carbon dioxide is the burning of fossil fuels. I would think that because there are so many people in this world that the exhaling of all of them combined would be most likely affect ocean pH. Hypothesis: If a shell is put into vinegar, then the shell will dissolve. Protocol: My partner and I first measured the mass of the control shell and the experimental shell (put into vinegar). We then recorded the data already given to us then the data we just collected. After recording the data, we put the control shell into regular saltwater and the experimental shell into the vinegar. After watching for 20 min, we dried the two shells off and weighed them. That mass was recorded. The dependent variable was the mass of the shells, the independent variable was the type of liquid the shells were put in, and the controls were the beakers and the amount of liquids put into each beaker. Data:
Observations (Before)
Thick, dark coloring, sturdy edges Thick, dark coloring, sturdy edges Thin, sharp edges, peels, light Thin, sharp edges, peels, light
Difference
Data Analysis: 1. When you immersed the shells in vinegar how did you know that a reaction was happening? When the shells were immersed in the vinegar, knowledge that a reaction was happening was because there were bubbles coming from the shell. 2. How did observing the shells in vinegar relate to how animals are affected by a lower pH of ocean water? Observing the shell in vinegar relates to how animals are affected by a lower pH of ocean water because the shells show how it is a global problem in the oceans. The dissolving of the shell shows what is happening to other sea organism's shells with CO2. 3. How would shelled organisms be affected by a lower pH of ocean water? Shelled organisms will be affected by a lower pH of ocean water because their shell will dissolve because the lower
the pH is of the ocean water the more acidic it is. 4. What are the primary functions of shell for these animals? The primary functions of a shell for these animals are for protection and shelter. 5. Does it cost the animal energy to rebuild or repair their shell? It does cost the animal energy to rebuild shells. Conclusion: My hypothesis in the beginning of the experiment was correct. It stated, "If a shell is put into vinegar, then the shell will dissolve." You could see the shell was dissolving by the bubbles that were coming from it. This experiment showed that, on a global level, as more CO2 goes into the ocean and forms carbonic acid, the more the shells of some sea organisms will dissolve. As their shells dissolve, those organisms will lose their protection and shelter and be more exposed to predators. Without certain organisms in the ocean, it would alter the food chain in the ocean and how some of us humans live.