How to add Carbon Dioxide to Sea Water

This is a straightforward demonstration of how carbon dioxide and water react. It can also serve to show how carbon dioxide is dominantly produced in the respiratory process. You will produce a weak acid in this experiment.

Things You'll Need

• Eye goggles
• 2 dropping pipettes
• Conical flask - 250 cm
• Small bottle of phenol red indicator solution (very flammable)
• Small bottle of sodium hydroxide solution (irritant)

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Instructions

Adding Carbon Dioxide to Water

• 1

  Place about 125 cm of water in the 250 cm conical flask. Add about one or two drops of the phenol red indicator solution into the water.

• 2

  Add two drops of the sodium hydroxide solution to the conical flask. This will cause the solution to become red.

• 3

  Add carbon dioxide into the flask. You can do this by saying the 'H' sound with your mouth or blowing gently. Continue this until a color change is observed.