Question

Explain the following observation.

Aerated water bottles are kept under water during summer

Answer 1

In aerated water bottles, CO₂ gas is passed through the aqueous solution under pressure because the solubility of the gas in water is not very high. In summer, the solubility of the gas in water is likely to decrease because of the rise in temperature. Thus, in summer, more gas will be present above the liquid surface in the glass bottle.

In case, the pressure of the gas becomes too high, the glass will not be able to withstand the pressure and the bottle may explode. To avoid this, the bottles are kept under water. As a result, the temperature is likely to decrease and the solubility of CO₂ is likely to increase in aqueous solution resulting in decreased pressure.