pH questions
What is pH?
pH is a scale used to measure the acidity and alkaline of a liquid.
Have pH levels increased or decreased?
Levels have decreased more and more, making the ocean more acidic. In noaa.gov it states, “During this time, the pH of surface ocean waters has fallen by 0.1 pH units. This might not sound like much, but the pH scale is logarithmic, so this change represents approximately a 30 percent increase in acidity.”(NOAA, 2025).
How much did the shells weigh initially?
Initially, the shells weighed 5.21, 5.76, 5.98, and 7.18 in grams.
What happened to the shells overtime?
Over time, the mass of the shells decreased and got lighter.
What is the purpose of our experiment?
The purpose of our experiment is to see how pH affects the mass of shells.
What is the scale pH is measured by?
It is measured on a scale of 0 through 14, and it shows whether the liquid is neutral, a base, or an acid. This is through its indication of the concentration of hydrogen ions that are present in that liquid (EPA, 2025).
How does pH affects the mass of shells?
It directly dictates the mass of the seashells by decreasing the seashell's mass making it viable to dissolve due to higher pH levels. This is because under high Co(2) conditions, things with shells like clams, oysters and seashells get dissolved (Madin, 2009).
How much did the shells weigh after 24 hours (1 day)?
After 24 hours, the shells weighed 5.39, 5.83, 5.78, and 6.64 grams.
What is the relationship between pH and the decrease in the mass of the shells?
The relationship between pH and a decrease in the mass of the shells is that the more pH there is in the water, the more the mass of the shell is to decrease and this is because there is more acidity.
What did we do in our experiment?
In our experiment we added 50 ml of water and then added different amounts of vinegar into each cup/container and then placed the shells in its own respective cup/container. In the span of 2 days we checked data and wrote it down while adding in that data to receive a graph of the effect of the pH in the shells.
Does the excess amount of carbon change the ocean for the worse or better?
Excess carbon dioxide changes the ocean for the worse as there are harmful consequences that arise from it (Bennett, 2014).
What is the independent variable?
It is the amount of vinegar we add in each cup.
After 48 hours (2 days) how much did each shell weigh?
After 48 hours, the shells weighed 5.34, 5.74, 5.74, 6.45 in grams.
Were there any inconsistencies in the experiment?
In the experiment, there was an inconsistency in one of the cups as one of them was knocked over on by Armaan and when we added the water and vinegar again it might have messed up the data we collected.
What was our hypothesis?
We hypothesized that if there was an increased amount of pH, the mass of the shells would decrease.
Does carbon dioxide increase or decrease pH levels?
Carbon dioxide makes the pH levels decrease in the ocean which causes more acidity.
What is the dependent variable?
The dependent variable is the weight of the shells as that is what is being measured.
Which cup had the largest change in weight after one day?
After one day, the cup that had the largest change in weight was cup D.
What could we do to make the experiment better?
To make this experiment better, I think we could have made sure to be more cautious of our surroundings and what we did around our lab so that we would not mess up the experiment.
Was our hypothesis correct?
Our result was accurate as the increase in pH in the water made the mass of the shells decrease.
Is the change in pH better or worse for sea creatures?
The change in pH is worse because it affects its bone structure and exoskeleton, not allowing it to grow/form, and this is because these parts are sensitive to acidity.
What was the pH of each one?
The pH for each was 5.4, 3.0, 2.8, and 3.4.
After two days which cup had the largest decrease in weight?
After two days, the cup that had the largest decrease was cup D as it went from weighing 7.18 grams to weighing 6.45 grams.
What does the data we collected show?
The data we collected shows the change in pH affects the carbon shells of marine organisms by decreasing the mass of those shells.
How could scientists use our research?
Scientists could use our research to research and figure out ways to reduce the amount of pH that is contained in the water where the marine exoskeletons are located.