Brian Cox school resources: Does CO2 affect the pH of seawater and how does acidity affect shells

Series 2 of the Brian Cox School Experiments are designed for students aged 11 to 14. They cover important topics and introduce teachers to a practical experiment, the commercial application of the technology featured, and the latest research being undertaken by scientists in that area. Each resource comprises three videos and a downloadable experiment that links directly to curriculum topics and is simple to carry out. Whether used in science classes, form rooms or careers sessions, these are an excellent resource to excite and engage young people with cutting-edge, real-world science.

In this experiment Professor Brian Cox joins a teacher to find out how to set up and run an investigation into the effect of increasing CO2 in seawater and how increasing the acidity in seawater affects the strength of shells.

The video resources enable students to virtually visit technology company C-Capture in Leeds, where next generation technology is being developed to capture CO2 from industrial sources such as cement, steel, and glass-making factories and power stations for future storage or reuse.

They can also hear about Dr Helen Findlay at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, who is researching how changes in seawater conditions are affecting marine life.