The Amazing World of Solutes, Solvents, and Solutions
Gases dissolve too
Discover that gases like oxygen can dissolve in water too, and why that matters.
Solids aren't the only things that dissolve. Many gases dissolve in water too, including oxygen.
Only a little oxygen dissolves in water. But that tiny amount is what keeps all water life alive: plants, fish and every other living thing in the water breathe it.
Is gas dissolved in water a uniform or non-uniform mixture? Uniform: the gas spreads evenly through the water, and you can't see it.
Does temperature change how much gas dissolves? Yes, but the opposite way from solids:
| Solids such as baking soda | Gases such as oxygen | |
|---|---|---|
| as water gets warmer, solubility | goes up | goes down |
So cold water holds more oxygen, which is why cold mountain streams are full of fish.
When water warms up, less oxygen stays dissolved in it, and the creatures living there have less to breathe.
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