Carbonic acid (H2CO3), Bicarbonate ion (HCO3-), and carbonate ion (CO3 (2-))are three species of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) that coexist in water. In a closed system, assuming that no carbon leaves or enters the system, the proportions of these species are determined by many factors. This model presents the proportions of three DIC species at different pH levels, ranging from 0 to 14, holding other factors constant. This model may serve as the foundation for students to explore the phenomenon of ocean acidification.
Embedded Files
THINGS TO TRY AND NOTICE
THINGS TO TRY AND NOTICE
The main observation is to see how the concentration of three species changes at different ph levels by dragging the pH slider or using the auto plot button. The teacher may also guide students to see that the current ph change in the ocean concerns a small range (8-8.2) in the spectrum.
Use switches to hide some ions to focus your observation. For example, only show H2CO3 and hide the rest ions.
CREDITS AND REFERENCES
CREDITS AND REFERENCES
Dr. Lin Xiang created this module at the University of Kentucky in 2022. If you mention this model in a publication, we ask that you include the citations below.
Xiang, L. (2022). Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in a closed system. Department of STEM Education, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.
Questions? Comments? Email us.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse