Flat vs. Fizzy Soda

Fizzy vs. Flat Soda

Le Châtelier's Principle

Lesson Plan

Guiding Question: W hy does soda go flat?

Overview: Students explore Le Châtelier's Principle by changing the volume, pressure, and temperature of a soda bottle.
They can also try carbonating the soda to see how adding a reactant affects the equilibrium.

Learning Goals:
● Recognize that chemical equilibrium is defined by equal rates of forward and reverse reactions, not concentrations.
● Visualize dynamic equilibrium.
● Predict how pressure, volume, temperature, or concentration will change the behavior of the system.
● Identify that changes in pressure, volume, and concentration do not affect the equilibrium constant (K), but that
changes in temperature do affect the equilibrium constant of a reaction.
● Describe what is happening in a system by interpreting a graph.

Key Concepts: E quilibrium, Reversible Reaction, Chemical Equilibrium, Equilibrium and Le Châtelier's Principle, Le Châtelier's
Principle, Le Châtelier's Principle and the Equilibrium Constant.

Link to Simulation: https://interactives.ck12.org/simulations/chemistry/le-chateliers-principle/app/

Background Video

A soda comes in many flavors and with varying levels of sweetness and
caffeine, but a soda is not a soda without its fizz. Like other carbonated
beverages, the fizz in soda comes from carbon dioxide (CO2) gas
dissolved in it. Yet, keeping CO2 gas in a solution is a delicate process.
Carbon dioxide gas above the soda creates pressure on the surface of the

liquid, which prevents CO2 dissolved in the liquid from escaping the liquid.
The CO2 gas above the liquid and the CO2 gas dissolved in the liquid are in
dynamic equilibrium. This means that CO2 enters the liquid at the same
rate CO2 exits the liquid, and that the concentration of gas in the liquid and
above the liquid do not change.
The focus of this simulation will be on the solution’s equilibrium. In soda,
the CO2 dissolved in the solution is undergoing a chemical reaction where it combines with water to form carbonic acid
(H2CO3). This reaction is reversible meaning H2CO3 can decompose into CO2 and H2O. The reaction is happening in both
directions all the time. When the system is at equilibrium the rate of the forward and reverse reaction is equal, so the
concentration of CO2 and H2CO3 remains constant. The system stays in a dynamic equilibrium until a stressor is applied. Try
applying different stressors to the system like changing the temperature, pressure, etc. When you apply a different stressor
to the soda bottle will your soda remain delightfully fizzy or turn flat?
Teacher Guide | Page 1

Simulation Overview

Pressure Show Sphere Model

This slider adjusts the amount of pressure exerted by the Turn on the sphere model to use different colored
gases inside of the soda bottle. To change the pressure spheres for the different molecules. To see the actual
of the system, either the bottle can be compressed or the molecules turn off the sphere model.
lid can be opened.

Graph of Concentration vs. Time

This graph shows the concentration of the reactant
Volume [H2CO3] and the product [CO2]. At equilibrium their
concentrations remain constant. When a stressor is
This slider adjusts the volume of the soda bottle. To
applied, their concentrations change rapidly in response
change the volume of the system, either the bottle can be
to the stressors and then change gradually as they return
compressed or the lid can be opened.
to a state of equilibrium.

Concentration
This slider adjusts the concentration of gaseous carbon
dioxide dissolved in the soda. To increase the amount of
CO2(g) in the solution, the bottle is attached to a
carbonator, which pushes CO2(g) into the solution. To Reaction Quotient
decrease the amount of CO2(g), the lid is opened causing
The reaction quotient shows the ratio of the
the CO2(g) gas above the liquid to release into the air.
concentration of products to the concentration of
Since there is less gas pushing out on the CO2(g) in the
reactants during a chemical reaction. At equilibrium, the
liquid, it escapes out of the liquid.
reaction quotient is equal to the equilibrium constant (K).
Notice that H2O is not included in the equation since it is
the solvent.

Temperature
This slider adjusts the temperature of the soda bottle. To
increase the temperature of the soda bottle, it is placed
outside in the sun on a hot day. To decrease the
temperature of the soda bottle, it is put into a refrigerator. Chemical Equation

The chemical equation shows the reversible reaction of
H2CO3 (aq) into CO2 (g) and H2O(l). It has a forward and
backwards arrow because it is reversible. If the arrow is
bigger in one direction than the other, it means that the
reaction rate in that direction is momentarily greater.


Molecule Explorer
Carbonic Acid - H2CO3

Carbonic acid is what gives soda its tangy flavor. Carbonic acid has two sources in soda. The first source is the H2CO3 found
in the soda solution itself. The second source is the CO2 in soda that is converted to H2CO3 by an enzyme on the tongue.
Regardless of its origins, carbonic acid will protonate in solution, and hydrogen ions (H+) will activate the sour-taste receptor
sites on the tongue. This is why most acids, not only carbonic acid, have a sour taste.
Carbon Dioxide - CO2

Soda, like other carbonated beverages, is a solution containing dissolved CO2 gas. In order to dissolve CO2 gas in solution,
the soda is pressurized. The cap sealing the bottle keeps the system pressurized. When the cap is opened, the pressure
decreases, as the gas applying pressure (pushing down) on top of the liquid escapes out of the bottle. This allows the CO2
gas dissolved in the liquid to escape out of the solution. The CO2 gas escaping from the liquid is what creates the bubbles
when the soda is opened.
When we drink soda, the CO2 gas is what creates the tingly feeling on our tongue. It also gives soda its tangy flavor when it
is converted to H2CO3 by an enzyme on our tongue. The H2CO3 then releases a H+ which activates the sour-taste receptor
sites on the tongue.
Water - H2O
Water is often referred to as the universal solvent, and it lives up to its name! Even non-polar gases like carbon dioxide can
dissolve in water. In soda, carbon dioxide is usually added to water using a carbonator.
However, a carbonator is not the only way to make carbon dioxide dissolve in water. Some of the oceans’ CO2 gas comes
from natural sources such as thermal vents, plant and animal respiration, and soil respiration and decomposition. Since the
industrial revolution an increasingly large amount of the oceans’ CO2 has been added to the ocean from burning fossil fuels.
As more and more fossil fuel is burned, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere increases and the concentration of CO2
in the oceans does too!
Much of the CO2 that dissolves in the ocean reacts with H2O to form carbonic acid (H2CO3) that quickly releases an H+ ion
which then reacts with carbonate (CO32−) to form bicarbonate (HCO3−) as follows:
H2CO3 (aq) ⇌ H+(aq) + HCO3- (aq)
H+(aq) + CO32- (aq) ⇌ HCO3- (aq)

Organisms such as coral, mollusks, and other marine calcifiers require carbonate in order to make calcium carbonate
(CaCO3) that is needed to form their coral structures and shells. As the ocean becomes more and more acidic, less and less
carbonate is available, which could lead to the extinction of coral and the destruction of many other marine ecosystems and
geology.


Real-World Connections
How much fertilizer can we What causes altitude sickness?

produce? Altitude sickness, which symptoms include headache,
nausea, and dizziness, occurs when not enough oxygen is
Ammonia is the key ingredient in most fertilizers. To
delivered to body tissues.
produce ammonia manufacturers combine nitrogen and

hydrogen gas to form ammonia gas.
Hemoglobin carries oxygen throughout the body via the

bloodstream. Oxygen and hemoglobin (Hb) combine
N2(g) + 3H2(g) ⇆ 2NH3(g) ΔH = -92 kJ/mol
through the simplified reaction:

Manufacturers apply the Le Châtelier's principle to create
Hb (aq)
+ O2 (g) ⇆ HbO2 (aq)
conditions where they can maximize the amount of

ammonia produced.
When you move from low to high altitude, such as

climbing up a mountain, the pressure from the oxygen
Since the reaction is exothermic, decreasing the
gas decreases. This reduction in pressure means that the
temperature would lead to a higher concentration of
concentration of O2 in the blood decreases. This shifts the
ammonia at equilibrium. However, lowering the
reaction to the left causing oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) to
temperature would also decrease the rate of reaction
break down while the hemoglobin increases in the blood.
thus slowing down production, so the temperature of this
Thus less oxygen is reaching your body tissues causing
reaction should be kept relatively high at 400 - 450°C.
altitude sickness.

Instead, since the reaction contains gas, the pressure is
Over many weeks at high altitude the body begins to
increased, which shifts the reaction towards the side with
produce more hemoglobin to remedy this problem. The
fewest gas molecules. High pressure conditions are very
increased amount of hemoglobin (increasing a reactant),
expensive to create so most ammonia is produced at
pushes the reaction forward there by providing an
pressures under 200 atm (which is still a pretty high
adequate amount of oxygen to the body.
pressure).

To speed up the process a catalyst is added, but the
catalyst does not affect the yield of ammonia; it only
increases the rate at which it is produced.

What is high altitude training? Does the pH of the ocean change?

High altitude training is used by athletes to improve Over the past 300 million years, the ocean pH has been
performance. slightly basic, averaging pH ≈ 8.2. Data from the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that
Athletes train at high altitudes where the low pressure oceans are becoming more acidic due to the increase in
causes the concentration of O2 in the blood to decrease. CO2 emissions.
This shifts the reaction to the left thereby reducing the
concentration of oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) in the blood. The ocean has always absorbed CO2 from the
atmosphere. Once dissolved in seawater, CO2 reacts with
Hb (aq) + O2 (g) ⇆ HbO2 (aq) water to form carbonic acid, H 2CO3.

Over time, on the order of weeks, the body acclimates to CO2 + H2O ⟶ H2CO3-
changes in altitude by producing more hemoglobin. The
increased hemoglobin pushes the reaction in the forward The carbonic acid protonates in water to form hydronium
direction, thereby increasing the concentration of HbO2 to ions.
a sufficient level.
H2CO3- ⟶ HCO3- + H+
When the athlete competes at a lower altitude, they still
have increased levels of hemoglobin, but now there is The bicarbonate then dissociates into carbonate and
also more oxygen available to react, so more HbO2 will hydrogen ions
form.
HCO3- ⇆ CO32- + H+
The athlete who trained at a higher altitude more
effectively removes more oxygen from the air and Since carbonate (CO32-) favors reacting with H+ over Ca2+,
transports it throughout their body, which can enhance marine life is left with insufficient Ca to form CaCO3,
performance. which makes up most of their shell.

Over the past 100 years it estimated that over 1,000
gigatons of human-created CO2 have been added to the
atmosphere; a third of which has been absorbed by the
oceans. Adding so much extra CO2 to the oceans pushes
the reaction in a forward direction, and subsequently
pushes all of the other reactants in the forward direction
as well. The end result is that most of the CO32- ions are
consumed leaving crustaceans and corals without the
CO32- ions they need to sustain life.


Answer Keys
Exploration Questions #1-8:

1. Since CO2 is a product, the rate of the forward reaction is faster.
2. Squeezing the bottle reduces the amount of space the CO2 gas molecules can occupy. Since there is less space for
the gas molecules, they will hit the surface of the liquid more often, thereby increasing the amount of pressure on
the liquid.
3. When the temperature increases, the molecules speed up and some of the CO2 molecules escape from the liquid
into the space above the liquid. This quickly reduces the concentration of CO2 in the liquid. Since the concentration
of CO2 decreased, but the H2CO3 concentration did not, there is too little CO2 relative to H2CO3 in the solution. The
H2CO3 breaks apart into CO2 and H2O to restore CO2 to the solution. This happens until the solution reaches
equilibrium. Furthermore, the forward reaction is endothermic (i.e. energy is a reactant), so increasing temperature
drives the reaction to make more products, resulting in an increase in CO2.
4. Increasing the temperature o f the solution reduces the amount of CO2(g) in solution. This is because at higher
temperatures the kinetic energy (motion) of the gas molecules increases, so the gas molecules can overcome the
intermolecular forces holding them in solution and escape from it.
5. The CO2 molecules in the solution would gradually escape to the outside environment
6. The amount of H2CO3 would decrease. Since the concentration of CO2 decreased, but the H2CO3 concentration did
not, there is too little CO2 relative to H2CO3 in the solution. The H2CO3 would then break apart into CO2 and H2O to
increase the CO2 concentration and relieve the stress. This would happen until the solution reaches equilibrium.
7. The concentration of CO2 is not the same in both equilibria because before squeezing, the concentration is at
0.0686 M while after squeezing the concentration is at 0.084 M. The equilibrium constant does not change. Though
the product/reactant ratio does increase while the system is under the stress of increased pressure, the ratio
returns to the equilibrium constant once equilibrium is restored.
8. Decreasing the pressure favors gas formation (the forward reaction) because it produces more moles of gas.
Check My Understanding #9-17
9. C
10. D
11. A
12. C
13. B
14. B
15. A
16. C
17. D

Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________

Fizzy vs. Flat Soda

Le Châtelier's Principle

Exploration Questions
Challenge Me Questions 1-8: As you explore the simulation, answer the following questions.

1. If CO2 is being produced in the solution at a faster rate than H2CO3, is the rate of the forward or reverse reaction
faster?
2. Why does squeezing the bottle cause the pressure of the CO2 gas in the solution to increase?

3. As the temperature increases, what happens to the CO2 in the solution? What about the H2CO3 molecules?

4. Which of the following would d
ecrease the number of CO2 molecules in the solution AND i ncrease the number of CO2
molecules above the solution: increasing temperature or decreasing temperature? Why?

5. If the lid of the bottle was left open instead of closed after opening, what do you think would happen to the CO2
molecules in the solution?

Exploration Worksheet | Page 1

Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________

6. If the volume, pressure, or amount of CO2 in solution was changed such that the amount of CO2 in solution
decreased, what would happen to H2CO3 in the solution? Why?

7. Before the bottle is squeezed, the system is at equilibrium. After the bottle has been squeezed, the system
eventually returns to equilibrium. Is the concentration of CO2 the same in both equilibrium situations (before and
after squeezing the bottle)? What about the equilibrium constant?

8. Which of the following would cause the reaction to shift in the direction that forms more gas molecules in solution:
increasing the pressure or decreasing the pressure? Why?


Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________

Check My Understanding
Questions 9-17: Circle the choice that best answers each question.
9. When the [CO2] and [H2CO3] are both horizontal 13. When the carbonator adds CO2 to the solution, a
lines, the rate of the forward reaction is ________ is added to the reaction, which pushes
__________ the rate of the reverse reaction the reaction in the ________ direction.
a. faster than a. product , forward
b. slower than b. product , reverse
c. the same as c. reactant , forward
d. reactant , reverse
10. If you added molecules of H2CO3 into the liquid,
what do you think would happen? 14. For a given reaction, which statement is true?
a. Since this would increase the a. The equilibrium constant is always the
concentration of CO2, the forward same number, but the concentration of
reaction would be favored. reactants and products can vary at
b. Since this would increase the equilibrium.
concentration of CO2, the reverse b. The equilibrium constant is always the
reaction would be favored. same number as long as the
c. Since this would increase the temperature is held constant.
concentration of H2CO2, the reverse c. The equilibrium constant is always the
reaction would be favored. same number as long as the pressure is
d. Since this would increase the held constant
concentration of H2CO2, the forward d. The equilibrium constant is always the
reaction would be favored. same number as long as the
concentration of CO2 is held constant.
11. If CO2 is being produced in the solution at a faster
rate than H2CO3, then the rate of the ____________ 15. When the pressure increases, the concentration
reaction is faster than the rate of the __________ of CO2 gas i n the solution at equilibrium _________.
reaction.
a. increases
a. forward / reverse
b. decreases
b. reverse / forward
c. does not change
c. neither A nor B is correct

16. Which of the following causes the concentration
12. Which statement best describes why the of H2CO3 in solution at equilibrium to increase?
equilibrium constant is a large number (greater
a. increasing pressure, volume, or CO2
than 1) in this simulation?
b. decreasing pressure, volume, or CO2
a. At equilibrium the concentration of
product is equal to the concentration of c. increasing pressure, decreasing volume,
reactants. or increasing CO2
b. At equilibrium there is significantly less d. decreasing pressure, increasing volume,
product than reactant. or decreasing CO2
c. At equilibrium there is significantly more
product than reactant.

Name: ___________________________________________ Date: ______________
17. The decomposition of H2CO3 is an endothermic reaction.
H2CO3 ⇄ CO2 + H2O ΔHrxn = 20.4 kJ/mol
How will adding heat affect the reaction? Why?
a. It will increase the rate of the forward reaction because adding heat is like adding a product to reaction.
b. It will increase the rate of the reverse reaction because adding heat is like adding a product
to reaction.
c. It will increase the rate of the reverse reaction because adding heat is like adding a reactant
to reaction.
d. It will increase the rate of the forward reaction because adding heat is like adding a reactant
to reaction

Flat vs. Fizzy Soda

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Fizzy vs. Flat Soda

Carbon dioxide gas above the soda creates pressure on the surface of the

Teacher Guide | Page 1

Pressure Show Sphere Model

Graph of Concentration vs. Time

Teacher Guide | Page 2

Carbonic Acid - H​2​CO​3

Carbon Dioxide - CO​2

H​2​CO​3 (aq)​ ⇌ H​+​(aq)​ + HCO​3​- ​(aq)

H​+​(aq)​ + CO​3​2- ​(aq)​ ⇌ HCO​3​- (aq)

Teacher Guide | Page 3

How much fertilizer can we What causes altitude sickness?

Teacher Guide | Page 4

What is high altitude training? Does the pH of the ocean change?

Teacher Guide | Page 5

Exploration Questions #1-8:

Check My Understanding #9-17

Teacher Guide | Page 6

Fizzy vs. Flat Soda

Exploration Worksheet | Page 1

Exploration Worksheet | Page 2

Exploration Worksheet | Page 3

Exploration Worksheet | Page 4

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Carbonic Acid - H2CO3

Carbon Dioxide - CO2

H2CO3 (aq) ⇌ H+(aq) + HCO3- (aq)

H+(aq) + CO32- (aq) ⇌ HCO3- (aq)