Temperature (Lever)

Definition

The lever describing how rising temperature pushes a stable water toward scaling through three simultaneous effects.

First, gas solubility falls so dissolved CO2 escapes and the equilibrium chases it back toward CO2/H2CO3, consuming hydrogen and raising pH. Second, the dissociation constants shift so warmer water more readily strips hydrogen from carbonic acid and bicarbonate, nudging the system toward carbonate. Third, calcium carbonate shows inverse solubility and precipitates more as things get hotter. Stacked together these explain why the hottest surface usually scales first and why boilers cannot tolerate hardness intrusion.

Related concepts

Gas Solubility and Temperature · Inverse Solubility of Calcium Carbonate · Dissociation Constants and Temperature

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Part of The Blueprint of Water · 🔥 thermodynamics