Acid Rain is basically rain that has been made acidic by Sulfur DiOxide ( SO2 ) and other pollutants. Acid rain is formed by the release of ( SO2 ) and ( NO2 ) into the atmosphere. Then the chemicals are absorbed into the rainwater and create acid rain. Acid rain , mostly comes from the chemicals emitted into the air by coal fired power plants. Now there is a big push for clean coal and these power plants have mostly accomplished that. The power plants have scrubbers, covered in limestone that remove or “ scrub” the sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide and other harmful chemicals out of the coall Also acid rain is often mistaken by people to be “ green rain that burns you when it contacts your skin and body” but that is incorrect. Acid rain looks just like your normal precipitation, no color , and can only be see the effects on other surfaces. Acid Rain kills the trees indirectly periphrastically by damaging the leaves and depriving the trees of nutrients.
The purpose of this experiment was to determine if location affects the PH of rainwater. I hypothesize that the surface of Route II will be more acidic than any other tested locations. The procedure was to use PH paper to test water samples from rainwater and runoff. They were Church Street, Route II, my sidewalk, the railroad track runoff and a puddle along the fenceline. I found that the rainwater off the gravel road had the highest PH out of the five tested. The lowest PH recorded was the rain puddle along the fenceline. Thanks to the Alkaline properties of Limestone , it is used in agriculture to lower the acidity of soil.
This project was about acid rain , location and how those two things affect the ph of the water runoff. Acid Rain is a type of acid depositio...
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VI.Dobson, Ken, John Holman, and Michael Roberts. "Chapter 21 Section 4." Holt Science Spectrum Physical Science. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 256, 263+. Print.
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain-overview/
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatisacid.html
http://butane.chem.uiuc.edu/pshapley/Enlist/Labs/AcidRain2/index.html
http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8418.html
I.S. 1227--110th Congress: Clean Coal Act of 2007.” www.GovTrack.us. 2007. February 2, 2014
Dobson, Ken, John Holman, and Michael Roberts. "Chapter 21 Section 4." Holt Science Spectrum Physical Science. Orlando: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2006. 256, 263+. Print.
Acid rain has been proven to have damage forests, fresh waters and soils, killing insect and aquatic life-forms. It also causes damage to buildings and impacts on human health. Many people do not know what acid rain actually is. Acid rain is any form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, low pH levels, higher than normal amounts of sulfuric and nitric acid, occurs naturally and from man made sources. Forms when gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals (what is acid rain?). The only water that will not have some amount of acidity is pure water. Pure water has a pH of 7 which is neutral; regular, unpolluted rain water has a pH of around 5.6. The acidity in rain water comes from the presence of Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide, and Sulfur Dioxide. CO2 reacts with water to form carbonic acid. Nitrogen and water react during lightning storms, forming Nitric Oxide. NO is then oxidized to form N02. The NO2 reacts with water to form nitric acid. Due to this, the pH is lowered to be slightly acidic (Acid Rain). Acid rain can occur naturally in the environment, but the problem occurs when human interaction is the cause of the acidic levels.
Serway, Raymond A., and Robert J. Beichner. Physics for Scientists and Engineers, Fifth edition. Thomson Learning Inc. U.S.A., 2000.
Acid rain can effect trees in several different ways. It can dissolve and wash away the minerals and nutrients in the soil. These factors in the soil help the trees to grow and is very important. Acid rain also cause the release of dangerous substances such as aluminum into the soil. Photosynthesis is also affected because of the waxy protective layer of the leaves being harmed. A combination of these effects weakens the trees which means that they can be more easily attacked by diseases and insects or injured by bad weather. It is not just trees that are affected by acid rain, other plants may also suffer.
When there is a lage amount of acid rain that falls in an area over a period of time, it can hurt the environment for all of the creatures living there. Acid rain can make a lake acidic which will most likely kill off a majority of the animals living in that lake.(McCormick 16) This happens all over the world. Michael Hopkin a reporter, and the author of “Acid rain still hurting Canada” states that, “Lakes and waterways in North America are struggling to recover from the effects of acid rain, despite reduced emissions of the pollutants that cause it. Without further cuts, it could be millennia before the worst-affected sites recover, say environmentalists.” It can also kill the animals that depend on the lake for food. When a food source that animals in an area dependon to survive gets diminished or even eliminated altogether. The animals that depended on it will either die off which will cause an even bigger problem for that area 's ecosystem, or they will need to find a new food source.If the new food that the animal found is already a food source for another animal then that causes competition for food, this may reduce the numbers of one or maybe even both animals. This all can come about because of acid rain and what it can do to the environment. On the EPA student site they have an article that shows how acid rain can affect an ecosystem 's food web. “This process continues up the entire food web. So,
Formed high in the clouds where sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides combine with oxygen and water, acid rain has a devastating ability to kill off aquatic systems, vegetation, animals, etc. The definition of acid rain is the deposition of acidic components in rain, fog, snow, and sleet. Regular rain has a pH that is slightly acidic at 5.6, but what makes one worry are the places like Washington, D.C., which possesses rain readings of 4.2 to 4.4 on the pH scale. Acid rain is mainly composed of Sulfuric Oxide (SO2) and Nitrous Oxide, which are common air pollutants from big industries, 70% of which are electric utility plants. If one views the amount pH levels of various areas around the nation it is easy to see that there is a problem, especially when a 4.0 pH level can drive many fish to die.
There are different negative affects of acid deposition to different environments on the earth. In soils where a possible buffer of basic material isn’t as great, plant nutrients are often lost, the germination of seeds and the growth of young seedlings are hurt, and plants may become over-fertilized by nitrogen. The plants in this instance often experience reduction in growth rates, flowering ability, and overall yield. This makes the plants more vulnerable to disease, insects, drought, and frost. Trees are also affected by acid deposition.
We can measure how acidic the rain actually is by the pH scale, 7 is
Acid rain is rain, snow or fog that is polluted by acid in the atmosphere and damages the environment. Two common air pollutants acidify rain: sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). When these substances are released into the atmosphere they are transformed into sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3) and can be carried over long distances by prevailing winds and return to earth as acidic rain, snow, fog or dust. When the environment cannot neutralize the acid being deposited, damage occurs.
The majority of people know our water is polluted but what they don’t know is why, and how polluted it is. Acid Rain has been a leading addition to the pollution in our water supply today. Acid Rain comes in the form of rain, snow or fog and is polluted by acid in the atmosphere. In our environment perfect clean water has a pH of 7, acid rain has a pH of 5.5 and below, meaning it is very acidic. The air combines with mainly sulfur and nitrous oxide and makes the water in the air acidic. This acid precipitation then falls onto the environment making the streams and rivers acidic killing the organisms that live in and around these bodies of waters. The rain also kills off trees and other plants at higher elevations. The area that acid rain mostly affects is the North Eastern United States because of the wind currents and because of its soil buffering capacity is low(EPA 1). The buffering capacity is the ability for the land to neutralize acidic compounds. The wind is a major contributor because it carries these acids from different work sites and puts them into the air around the east. One of the leading studies and areas of concern is in upstate New York. One study from the environmental agency in New York said “by 2040, about half the region’s 2,800 lakes and ponds will be too acidic to sustain much life and 100 percent of its rivers and streams will be too acidic to support life during spring snow melts” (Dao 3). Acid Rain has polluted many of the bodies of waters in New York and its surrounding areas. The pollution is contributed from many things although most of the sulfur and nitrous oxide is put into the air from burning fossil fuels. Any person who relies on transportation by a motorized vehicle or a person that relies on power form a company that burns fossil fuels contributes to the pollution. The chemicals that these companies are putting out aren’t affecting them but instead are affecting the east.
A E Bate 1938 Proc. Phys. Soc. 50 293-297. [Online Preview]. Available: http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0959-5309/50/2/315 [20 July 2009]
Mann, M., 2013. Mind Action Series Physical Sciences 12 Textbook and Workbook. Sanlamhof: Allcopy Publishers.
The different gaseous pollutants, like nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide will react with water droplets formed in clouds which will produce sulphuric and nitric acid. When it starts to rain, the clouds will release acidic water droplets. Luckily, the water droplets are weak in acidity, similar to lemon juice. Acid rain cannot burn us like strong acids do, they can only irritate the skin. Even though, acid rain cannot hurt us health wise, we must be aware of what it does to our environment. According to Washington University, acid rain effects bigger bodies of waters like lakes and ponds, therefore the living organisms like fish end up dying. Forests are also effected when acid rain reaches the soil which allow the trees to grow healthy and strong. The material of buildings can also erode at a faster rate, especially if buildings or landmarks are made of materials like limestone and sandstone. Acid rain exists purely because of the air pollutants that exist. Therefore, it is important to find a way to reduce pollutants to better improve our air quality (What Is Acid
Serway, Raymond A, and Robert J Beichner. Physics: For Scientists and Engineers. United States of
As nations continue to develop and populations continue to soar, the demand for energy and food has grown exponentially. Energy and food production, however, produces various types of pollution that have numerous undesirable effects on our environment. A large portion of these pollutants are released into the atmosphere from factories worldwide. When considering all of the consequences of modern day pollution, acid rain is undoubtedly one of the major concerns. Because acid rain is capable of harming a wide range of both living and nonliving things, studying its various effects and the corresponding mechanisms can yield pertinent information, which can be used to combat its effects.
Acid rain is when chemicals like nitrogen and sulphur-dioxide are released into the atmosphere and react with the water vapour, and acid pours in form of rain. This is very dangerous because it destroys infrastructures and some buildings, and also dissolves the human