What is Acid Rain?

Question

What is acid rain and how is it caused?

What is the impact of it?

What can we do to prevent this?

Answer 1

Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic. It has harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and buildings. Acid rain is mostly caused by human emissions of sulfur and nitrogen compounds which react in the atmosphere to produce acids. In recent years, many governments have introduced laws to reduce these emissions. Cutting down on carbon emissions can cut down on acid rain so next time you can walk instead of taking the car do so!

Answer 2

The term "acid rain" is commonly used to mean the deposition of acidic components in rain, snow, fog, dew, or dry particles. The more accurate term is "acid precipitation." Distilled water, which contains no carbon dioxide, has a neutral pH of 7. Liquids with a pH less than 7 are acid, and those with a pH greater than 7 are alkaline (or basic). "Clean" or unpolluted rain has a slightly acidic pH of 5.6, because carbon dioxide and water in the air react together to form carbonic acid, a weak acid. Around Washington, D.C., however, the average rain pH is between 4.2 and 4.4.

The extra acidity in rain comes from the reaction of air pollutants, primarily sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, with water in the air to form strong acids (like sulfuric and nitric acid). The main sources of these pollutants are vehicles and industrial and power-generating plants. In Washington, the main local sources are cars, trucks, and buses.

Answer 3

Acid rain is caused by pollution.  Sulphur is absorbed in the air through factories, transportation etc.

The impact of acid rain is smog, climate change and higher levels of mercury in our water supply.

On an individual level, walk, take public transportation or car pool when you can.  Practise the conservation of energy in your home.

Google it.  This is all just basic information, there is information and research all over the web.

Answer 4

Waste gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released by industrial processes and by burning fossil fuels.They combine with water vapour in the atmosphere to form sulphuric and nitric acids.When precipitation occurs the resulting rain or fog is highly acidic(pH 5.6 or lower) especially in Europe and USA.Acid rain is damaging to plant life,fresh water creatures and building materials and can travel long distances.

Answer 5

It is the rain passing thru the polluted air.

Answer 6

acid rain is the acidity of rainwater. the acidity is measured by the pH value. the lower the values the more acid they are.

battery H2SO4 pH= 0.1, stomach acid HCl pH=1.6, orange drink pH=3.5, non-polluted rainwater pH=5.6, drinking water pH=7.0, acid rain pH=4.5 to 5.2. acid rain pH=4.2 all fish die. pH=5.5 some crayfish begin to die.

caused by the by-product of hydrogen ions (H) from chemical reaction. the H (ion) caused acidity of the rain.

(1) CO2 burning fuel contain hydrocarbon

CO2 + H2O --->H2CO3 ---> H (ion)

(2) burning fuel contain sulfur

2S + 3O2 ---> 2SO3

SO3 + H2O ---> H2SO4 ---> H (ion)

(3) car exhaust gas

2NO + O2 ---> 2NO2

3NO2 + H2O ---> NO + 2HNO3 ---> H (ion)

as life must go on, cannot see any known prevention yet.