Oxygen & Water... Chemistry?

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Chris_Dog

Chris_Dog

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I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept that water has more or less oxygen. Let me preface that I have never had Chemistry even in high school. I am sure this is pretty basic stuff.

I understand that water is made of 2 parts oxygen and 1 part hydrogen. (or is it the other way around?). Along with assorted chemicals and minerals that makes tap water. Is it that within the solution that is water there is free oxygen. Similar to the way air has more or less oxygen. You would think I would get this having aquariums for years.

Is it that once the oxygen has bonded with hydrogen to make water it is no longer oxygen but H2O.

Man I am really confused and now my brain hurts. :drunk: I need a drink
 
The bonded oxygen does not change.

Henry’s Law and Dissolved Oxygen in Water

Henry’s Law states that “the partial pressure of a gas in a liquid is equal to the partial pressure of the gas in the vapor above the liquid.” Oxygen will dissolve in water so that the level of dissolved oxygen of water will be in equilibrium with the atmosphere, which is approximately 20.9%. Dissolved oxygen levels in the water will vary according to temperature fluctuations, changes in barometric pressure, and salt content.


Some info here
http://www.vcnet.com/koi_net/do.html

and here
http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Oxygen-1.htm
 
Chris_Dog said:
I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept that water has more or less oxygen. Let me preface that I have never had Chemistry even in high school. I am sure this is pretty basic stuff.

I understand that water is made of 2 parts oxygen and 1 part hydrogen. (or is it the other way around?). Along with assorted chemicals and minerals that makes tap water. Is it that within the solution that is water there is free oxygen. Similar to the way air has more or less oxygen. You would think I would get this having aquariums for years.

Is it that once the oxygen has bonded with hydrogen to make water it is no longer oxygen but H2O.

Man I am really confused and now my brain hurts. :drunk: I need a drink
Click to expand...

Water has 2 Hydrogens and one oxygen, bonded together. Water has dissolved oxygen gas in it, which is two oxygen atoms bonded together. The minerals exist in the water solution and interact with the water molecules, hence you have hard water (with lots of minerals, not sure which ones in particular) and soft water (which has relatively fewer minerals). The minerals contribue to the pH of the water, which is basically the amount of hydrogen ions that you have in the solution. Almost every living thing needs oxygen, besides some bacteria and other small organisms, and this is obtained either from the air or water. The air is actually mainly nitrogen, because a very high oxygen percentage is actually quite toxic. As you aerate, you agitate teh water molecules, which allows for more oxygen gas to be dissolved into the liquid. This is the same concept with carbonation, as CO2 is also a gas that needs to dissolve into your solution (i.e beer). There are certain conditions that help a gas dissolve into a solution, and I am not sure what these conditions are for oxygen gas, but I do know for CO2 it is decreased temperature, increased CO2 pressure, etc. Hope this helps

Jason
 
Bah Humbug said:
The bonded oxygen does not change.

Henry’s Law and Dissolved Oxygen in Water

Henry’s Law states that “the partial pressure of a gas in a liquid is equal to the partial pressure of the gas in the vapor above the liquid.” Oxygen will dissolve in water so that the level of dissolved oxygen of water will be in equilibrium with the atmosphere, which is approximately 20.9%. Dissolved oxygen levels in the water will vary according to temperature fluctuations, changes in barometric pressure, and salt content.



Thank you guys first off!!!
Orfy your links made me go cross eyed. Again I didn't even take high school chemistry. I am pretty sure the Makers Mark I a drinking won't help much.

According to the law above water will assume the oxygen level of its environment. In a keg it is Co2. The links and what you guys posted sort of confirms what I was thinking. In the water itself there may be any number of elements floating around. With regards to oxygen 1 of the things that influence it are of course the temperature. IE. Boiling water expels free oxygen. Once oxygen becomes H2O it is no longer oxygen but water.

Am I pretty close?
Click to expand...
 
Yup.

Water will try to equalise it's (free) O2 content with that of the atmosphere dependant on pressure temperature, salinity and a few other things.
 
In WAY layman terms... You might have a bucket of balls at the driving range. There is no way another golf ball will fit in it. It will hold a bunch of marbles however or several pounds of sand.
OK that has to do with time management but it sort of applies sort of.

Back to lurking !
 
The oxygen in oxygenated water is dissolved in solution. Same as CO2 in beer.

It's a mixture, not a compound.
 

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