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ICSE Class 9 Chemistry Question 10 of 31

Water — Question 14

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Question

Question 12

State the importance of the solubility of CO2, and O2 in water.

Answer

Solubility of CO2, and O2 in water is important for the following reasons:

  1. Marine life like fish use the oxygen of the air dissolved in water for respiration and thus aquatic life is sustained. 1 dm3 (1 litre) of water contains 40 cm3 of dissolved oxygen.
  2. Aquatic plants make use of dissolved carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, i.e., to prepare their food.
    6CO2 + 12H2O →sunlightChlorophyll\xrightarrow[\text{sunlight}]{\text{Chlorophyll}} C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
  3. Carbon dioxide dissolved in water reacts with limestone to form calcium bicarbonate.
    CaCO3 + CO2 + H2O ⟶ Ca(HCO3)2
    Marine organisms such as snails, oysters, etc., extract calcium carbonate from calcium bicarbonate to build their shells.