Ocean Acidification in a Cup

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Ocean Acidification in a Cup
https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/ocean-acidification-in-cup

Exploratorium

This model of ocean-atmosphere interaction shows how carbon dioxide gas diffuses into water, causing the water to become more acidic. The video demonstration and instruction provide an explanation of the chemistry behind this change and the consequences of ocean acidification. The video also addresses a misconception about how ocean acidification affects shelled organisms.

This learning activity takes 30 minutes.

Learn more about Teaching Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness»

See how this Short Demonstration/Experiment supports the Next Generation Science Standards»
Middle School: 3 Disciplinary Core Ideas, 2 Cross Cutting Concepts, 2 Science and Engineering Practices
High School: 2 Disciplinary Core Ideas, 2 Cross Cutting Concepts, 2 Science and Engineering Practices

Notes From Our Reviewers The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials
Teaching Tips | Science | Pedagogy | Technical Details

Teaching Tips

The instructions for this experiment provide alternatives for lab equipment and materials that might be unavailable, such as a substitute for the acid indicator bromothymol blue.

About the Science

This classroom experiment allows students to see the process of ocean acidification in action. It creates a carbon-dioxide rich atmosphere above a layer of water with a pH indicator in a cup. The carbon dioxide diffuses into the water and eventually raises the pH, which can be seen with the pH indicator. The website describes the processes of ocean acidification, the fast carbon cycle, and how these processes affect sea life.
Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.

About the Pedagogy

This is a controlled experiment that can be completed in a typical classroom laboratory setting. Students will create a model of an ocean-atmosphere interaction that shows how carbon dioxide gas diffuses into water, and compare it with a control.
Before conducting the experiment, students should understand how an acid indicator works and the fact that mixing vinegar and baking soda creates CO₂ gas.
This classroom experiment can be done as a demonstration or a lab activity.
The website provides explanations, references, and discussion questions, and teaching tips.

Technical Details/Ease of Use

Video provides an example of how to do the demonstration. Instructions are very comprehensive and easy to follow.
This experiment can be carried out with typical classroom laboratory materials and provides useful tips for teachers.

Learn more about CLEAN and NGSS

Next Generation Science Standards See how this Short Demonstration/Experiment supports:

Middle School (see details)

Middle School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 3

MS-ESS3.C1:Human activities have significantly altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging or destroying natural habitats and causing the extinction of other species. But changes to Earth’s environments can have different impacts (negative and positive) for different living things.

MS-LS2.A1:Organisms, and populations of organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving factors.

MS-PS1.B1:Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants.

Cross Cutting Concepts: 2

Systems and System Models, Cause and effect

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Science and Engineering Practices: 2

Developing and Using Models, Asking Questions and Defining Problems

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High School (see details)

High School

Disciplinary Core Ideas: 2

HS-LS2.C2:Moreover, anthropogenic changes (induced by human activity) in the environment—including habitat destruction, pollution, introduction of invasive species, overexploitation, and climate change—can disrupt an ecosystem and threaten the survival of some species.

HS-PS1.B3:The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and predict chemical reactions.

Cross Cutting Concepts: 2

Cause and effect, Systems and System Models

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Cause and effect, Systems and System Models

HS-C2.2:Cause and effect relationships can be suggested and predicted for complex natural and human designed systems by examining what is known about smaller scale mechanisms within the system.

HS-C4.3:Models (e.g., physical, mathematical, computer models) can be used to simulate systems and interactions—including energy, matter, and information flows—within and between systems at different scales.

Science and Engineering Practices: 2

Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Developing and Using Models

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Asking Questions and Defining Problems, Developing and Using Models

HS-P1.1:Ask questions that arise from careful observation of phenomena, or unexpected results, to clarify and/or seek additional information.

HS-P2.6:Develop and/or use a model (including mathematical and computational) to generate data to support explanations, predict phenomena, analyze systems, and/or solve problems.

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