Ch 16. Solubility factors: Temperature on Gases

The effect of temperature on the solubility of gases in liquid solvents is opposite that of solids. The solubilities of most gases are greater in cold water than in hot. For example, Table 16.1 shows that the most important component of air for living beings—oxygen—becomes less soluble in water as the temperature of the solution rises. This fact has some important consequences. When an industrial plant takes water from a lake to use for cooling and then dumps the resulting heated water back into the lake, the temperature of the entire lake increases. Such a change in temperature is known as thermal pollution. Aquatic animal and plant life can be severely affected because the increase in temperature lowers the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the lake water.