To meet the growing demand for dynamic simulation in chemical engineering a one-dimensional mathematical model for the dynamic behaviour of bubble column reactors is developed and implemented as a computer programme. To validate some basic model assumptions and to show the abilities of the programme, experimental observations are compared with simulation results. The absorption of carbon dioxide into aqueous sodium hydroxide solutions is choosen as an example of a fast gas-liquid reaction system. For this model system a sufficiently good quantitative agreement is obtained.