Re: pinhole Re: rising water level science

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From: Geoff Ruth (gruth@leadershiphigh.org)
Date: Sun Jan 18 2004 - 09:58:59 PST 

Message-Id: <p06020405bc3078fbb469@[192.168.1.17]>
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2004 09:58:59 -0800
From: Geoff Ruth <gruth@leadershiphigh.org>
Subject: Re: pinhole Re: rising water level science

I think that CO2 will be a lot more soluble than O2, in water. The
CO2 will dissolve in water to make carbonic acid, H2CO3, which will
then disassociate to make bicarbonate ion and hydrogen ion. Once the
carbonic acid disassociates, more CO2 will then dissolve (the Le
Chatelier equilibrium thing).

If you did this over mineral or vegetable oil, like Paul suggested, I
don't think the CO2 would dissolve. In oil, the CO2 won't react to
make H2CO3, so it will just stay dissolved as CO2, and therefore not
so much will dissolve.

>Treena,
>
>Yes, the O2 is replaced by products of combustion: CO2 and H2O. If
>you are burning a saturated hydrocarbon (wax, etc), the products
>will replace the O2 1-to-1. Carbohydrates will actually produce
>more particles of combustion products than O2 used. Not sure how
>the solubility of CO2 and O2 compare (don't have any of my
>references available), but the H2O vapor should already be at
>equilibrium with the liquid H2O in the setup. The catch is that the
>H2O vapor from combustion will condense on the other surfaces inside
>the setup, reducing their volume to about 1/1000 of their volume as
>a gas. Both the condensing of the water vapor and the cooling of
>the gases after the match goes out will cause the water level to
>rise. Usually, if I remember correctly, the level rises slowly
>while the object is burning and then rises quickly after the flame
>goes out. The condensation rate should be higher after the flame
>goes out, and obviously t! he temperature decrease will happen after
>the flame goes out.
>
>Does this help, or simply blow more smoke on the water? :-)
>
>Roy Mayeda
>Still at large and getting larger
>
>
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