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Lesson 1: How Are the Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Concentration in Water Related?

Gaseous oxygen is one of many substances found in bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers. A number of factors affect the amount of oxygen dissolved in water. Does temperature impact how much oxygen water can hold?

Doing the science

  1. Open the Fish Experiment Sim
  2. Move the "Temperature" lever on the bottom of the fish bowl to the far-left position.
  3. Note and record the temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration in Table 1.
  4. Slide the "Temperature" lever to the right to about the middle position.
  5. Note and record the temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration.
  6. Slide the "Temperature" lever to the far-right position.
  7. Note and record the temperature and dissolved oxygen concentration.

Table 1.

Trial

Temperature (°C)

Dissolved Oxygen Concentration (ppm)

1

2

3

Do You Understand?

  1. On a piece of graph paper, make a graph of temperature versus the dissolved oxygen concentration. What is the relationship between temperature and the dissolved oxygen concentration in water?


  2. What implications might the relationship you described in the previous question have for living aquatic organisms?