Question

carbon dioxide and the oceans
when carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere mixes into the ocean, it combines with water to form carbonic acid
this is also why pops and sodas are acidic, they contain carbon dioxide gas as carbonation. as more carbon dioxide is
added to the atmosphere, more carbonic acid forms in the ocean, lowering its ph and making the ocean more acidic.
carbonic acid in the oceans,
figure 5. the effect of atmospheric
co2 on the ph of seawater.
how is carbonic acid formed?

1. how does more carbon dioxide in the air make the oceans more acidic?

Explanation:

Step1: Understand the reaction

Carbon dioxide (\(CO_2\)) reacts with water (\(H_2O\)) to form carbonic acid (\(H_2CO_3\)). The chemical equation is \(CO_2 + H_2O
ightarrow H_2CO_3\).

Step2: Analyze the effect of carbonic acid on pH

Carbonic acid (\(H_2CO_3\)) is an acid. In aqueous solution, it can dissociate to release hydrogen ions (\(H^+\)). According to the pH formula \(pH =-\log[H^+]\), an increase in \(H^+\) concentration will decrease the pH value. So more \(CO_2\) in the air means more \(H_2CO_3\) formed in the ocean, leading to a lower pH (more acidic).

Answer:

Carbon dioxide (\(CO_2\)) in the air dissolves in ocean water and reacts with water (\(H_2O\)) to form carbonic acid (\(H_2CO_3\)) (\(CO_2 + H_2O
ightarrow H_2CO_3\)). Carbonic acid dissociates to release hydrogen ions (\(H^+\)), increasing the \(H^+\) concentration in the ocean. Since \(pH =-\log[H^+]\), an increase in \(H^+\) concentration lowers the pH, making the oceans more acidic.