Chapter 8, Problem 8.71E

Suppose you have two identical unopened bottles of carbonated beverage. The contents of both bottles appear to be perfectly clear. You loosen the cap of one of the bottles and hear a hiss as gas escapes, and at the same time gas bubbles appear in the liquid. The liquid in the unopened bottle still appears to be perfectly clear. Explain these observations using the concept of equilibrium and Le Châtelier’s principle. Remember, a carbonated beverage contains carbon dioxide gas dissolved in a liquid under pressure.