Randy Holmes-Farley
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Reef Chemistry Question of the Day [HASHTAG]#183[/HASHTAG]
I ran across an interesting fact today that I had never heard before when reading a section of a book to try to answer a complex question in this forum. So I'll use it as the question for today. I don't expect most readers will already know this fact, but astute ones may be able to deduce it from their knowledge of chemistry (or by guessing ).
Which organic molecule is supersaturated in the surface layers of much of the ocean?
Supersaturation means there is more of it present that would be present if the system was allowed to come to equilibrium. So, for example, it might precipitate as a solid or disappear into the gas phase if it was not being replaced somehow faster than this could naturally happen.
Choices are...
A. Ethanol
B. Acetate
C. Dimethyl sulfide
D. Methane sulfonate
Good luck and let us know your reasoning!
.
I ran across an interesting fact today that I had never heard before when reading a section of a book to try to answer a complex question in this forum. So I'll use it as the question for today. I don't expect most readers will already know this fact, but astute ones may be able to deduce it from their knowledge of chemistry (or by guessing ).
Which organic molecule is supersaturated in the surface layers of much of the ocean?
Supersaturation means there is more of it present that would be present if the system was allowed to come to equilibrium. So, for example, it might precipitate as a solid or disappear into the gas phase if it was not being replaced somehow faster than this could naturally happen.
Choices are...
A. Ethanol
B. Acetate
C. Dimethyl sulfide
D. Methane sulfonate
Good luck and let us know your reasoning!
.