The absorption of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2\text{CO}_2CO2) by the world's oceans is a major global challenge that alters marine chemistry through a series of interconnected chemical equilibria.
Which of the following correctly describes the trends in the concentrations of chemical species in surface seawater as ocean acidification progresses, and the corresponding impact on calcifying marine organisms?
[H+][\text{H}^+][H+] increases, [CO32−][\text{CO}_3^{2-}][CO32−] decreases, reducing the saturation state of calcium carbonate and hindering shell formation.
[H+][\text{H}^+][H+] increases, [CO32−][\text{CO}_3^{2-}][CO32−] increases, increasing the saturation state of calcium carbonate and accelerating shell formation.
[H+][\text{H}^+][H+] decreases, [HCO3−][\text{HCO}_3^-][HCO3−] decreases, leading to the dissolution of existing shell structures.
[H+][\text{H}^+][H+] decreases, [CO32−][\text{CO}_3^{2-}][CO32−] decreases, preventing the calcification of marine organisms.
32 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Chemistry Interpreting and interacting with earth systems. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.