Hannah Midles

Mrs. Norris
APES 3
rd

5 September, 2014
Ocean Acidification Lab
Lab partner: Megan Redfern
Introduction:
Between the years of 1751 and 1994, the surface ocean pH has decreased, but there has been a
26% increase in acidity. Every day the ocean absorbs more than one million metric tons of
carbon each hour. Ocean acidification is causing fisheries to decrease in amount of production
and a decrease in amount of shellfish and ocean life habitats.
Problem:
How does carbon dioxide affect the pH of water?
Hypothesis:
If CO2 is added to ocean and distilled water, then distilled water will change the most in pH
because it is starting out with the least amount of carbon and does not have a carbon buffer.
Parts of the experiment:
Control group: plain ocean water and plain distilled water without the universal indicator
Experimental group: Ocean and distilled water with universal indicator
Independent Variable: added CO2
Dependent Variable: pH change
Control Variable: universal indicator, calcium carbonate
Materials:
-two test tubes
-universal indicator
-ocean water
-distilled water
-straw
Procedure:
1. Use a graduated cylinder to measure 10 ML of ocean water. Pour it into test tube #1. Add
10 mL of universal indicator. Stir and record pH in the table below.
2. Use a graduated cylinder to measure 10 ML of distilled water. Pour it into test tube #1.
Add mL of universal indicator. Stir and record pH in the table below.
3. Blow into straw into the ocean water.
4. Use a stopwatch and start time as soon as pressure is released and solution begins to
bubble. Stop timing when color changes. Record date below.
5. Repeat step 4 for distilled water.
6. Add crushed calcium carbonate to ocean and distilled water test tubes. Record your
results.
Data Table:

Solution Measured pH Measured pH
after adding
CO2
Time (seconds)
for pH to
change
Observations
with calcium
carbonate
Ocean Water 7 2 30 seconds Cloudy green
Distilled Water 7 5 10 seconds Cloudy blue

Conclusion:
The most common pH of surface ocean water is between 8.2 and 8.1. This differed from our
results of pH ocean water because our results showed a pH of 7. This may be because the ocean
water is in a smaller container and does not involve as much carbonic acid and bicarbonate ions
and the sea life in oceans. The distilled water and ocean water responded differently because
when CO2 was added to the ocean water it became more acidic than the distilled water. The
reason for this result is because sea water has an excessive amount of hydrogen ions released into
ocean waters causing the ocean to become more acidic. When calcium carbonate was added to
the ocean water, the water turned a cloudy green and the distilled water turned a cloudy blue.
The ocean water recovered quickly, becoming more basic. The distilled water recovered slower,
making it more acidic. Ocean water contains natural buffers before the added calcium carbonate
already, so the added calcium carbonate made the process a lot faster than the distilled water
with less natural buffers available. I believe this is a good experiment because it is an easy
demonstration seeing how natural buffers and ocean water can quickly reverse the effects of CO2
rather than the distilled, which has less natural buffers. My results do not support my hypothesis.
Through my experiment, when adding CO2 ocean water will be affected more quickly than
distilled water.