what is acid rain?

Question

what is it mad up of?
causes?
effects?
how to measure acid rain?
sum primo acid rain examples?

Answer 1

the sweat that drips from god

Answer 2

Acid rain is defined as any type of precipitation with a pH that is unusually low. Acid rain (or more accurately acid precipitation) occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted into the atmosphere, undergo chemical transformations and are absorbed by water droplets in clouds. The droplets then fall to earth as rain, snow, or sleet. This can increase the acidity of the soil, and affect the chemical balance of lakes and streams.

(for more, see source)

Answer 3

Acid rain is caused by the water in rain drops reacting with nitrates, sulfates and cabonates (NOx, SOx, COx - like NO2, COs, SO2, etc...) in our atmosphere to create Nitric acid, Sulfuric acid and Carbonic acid (H2NO3, H2SO4, HCO4). These acids have a relatively high dissociation constant, that is, they like to give away the hydrogens, which is what makes the acid acidic - the release of the hydrogen atoms.

The NOx, SOx, COx, come mostly from the emmisions of the burning of organic matter. There are natural causes for these gasses, such as forest fires and volcanoes, but most of what is in our atmosphere now is from the burning of fossil fuels - oil, coal, natural gas - from commercial, industrial, residential and agricultural processes.

When the acid formed in the rain by passing through these gasses in our atmosphere reaches the earth, the effects can be devistating on plant and animal life. The acid in the rain can affect ecosystems in a number of ways. The most obvious is a direct effect of actually having it land on you and burn your skin. This primary effect will burn the leaves off of trees, kill the photosynthetic cells of grasses and burn the skin on any animal that comes into contact with it. There is also a secondary effect of acid rain that wrecks havoc on ecosystems. This effect is most obvious in lakes and streams. The acid rain will lower the pH (per hydrogen count - but here lower means MORE hydrogen due to the nature of the scale used, don't worry about that here) of the body of water. This lowering of pH (increasing of hydrogens) makes the lake more acidic and less hospitable to life. So, fish will first stop spawning if the pH is too high or too low, then they will start showing signs of burning and eventually extinction of the population in that body of water. The acid will also kill any other organism living in that lake that is adapted to the natural pH, and not the more acidic levels. To add a bit more onto this, there is also a tertiary affect of acid rain. When the acid rain hits the ground, the increased hydrogen count causes metals to dissociate from the soils and leach into water ways. This can cause metal poisoning in aquatic species. So the acid isn't killing them, but the increased concentration of mercury, aluminum, or lead is.

Acid rain is measured by a pH scale with 0 being very, very acidic and 14 being very, very basic. Seven is in the middle and is considered neutral. Human blood is around 6.4 and fresh water is usually near 6.9 or 6.8. Stomach acid is near 2, and milk is near 8. The best way to measure rain with this scale is to collect the rain and use a pH probe (these are electronic sensing devices, or chemical analysis such as titration).

Some examples of primary acid rain effects are in Europe, where almost the entire German forrest has been ravaged. There isn't much left there. A secondary example is Hudson Bay in Canada, where U.S. factories contributed to mass pollution of the Bay and many aquatic animals were killed, and tertiary examples are in Pennsylvania, where many lakes are still poisoned from increased metal concentrations.

hope this helps.

Answer 4

When water vapor in the atmosphere absorbs (dissolves) certain industrial gases, the combination becomes slightly acidic, ie low ph. When this combination rains down in large enough quantities, some believe that it can change the ph of lakes and rivers and the soil leading to a 'dead zone' in those areas. No conclusive scientific proof of this effect has ever been produced, however.

Answer 5

....is probably due to the increased presence of aerosol particles in the atmosphere due to global warming. Aerosol particles and other particulate pollutants absorb solar energy and reflect sunlight back into space. The pollutants can also become danger for cloud droplets. In the gas phase sulfur dioxide is oxidized by reaction with the hydroxyl radical via a termolecular reaction.

Acid rain has been shown to have adverse impacts on forests, freshwaters and soils, killing off insect and aquatic lifeforms as well as causing damage to buildings and having possible impacts on human health.

At pHs lower than 5 most fish eggs will not hatch and lower pHs can kill adult fish. As lakes become more acidic biodiversity is reduced. Acid rain has eliminated insect life and some fish species, including the brook trout in some Appalachian streams and creeks.

Answer 6

Acid rain (or more accurately acid precipitation)[1] occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are emitted into the atmosphere, undergo chemical transformations and are absorbed by water droplets in clouds. The droplets then fall to earth as rain, snow, or sleet. This can increase the acidity of the soil, and affect the chemical balance of lakes and streams.[2] The term "acid rain" is sometimes used more generally to include all forms of acid deposition - both wet deposition, where acidic gases and particles are removed by rain or other precipitation, and dry deposition removal of gases and particles to the Earth's surface in the absence of precipitation.[3]

Acid rain is defined as any type of precipitation with a pH that is unusually low.[4] Dissolved carbon dioxide dissociates to form weak carbonic acid giving a pH of approximately 5.6 at typical atmospheric concentrations of CO2.[5] Therefore a pH of <5.6 has sometimes been used as a definition of acid rain.[6] However, natural sources of acidity mean that in remote areas, rain has a pH which is between 4.5 and 5.6 with an average value of 5.0 and so rain with a pH <5 is a more appropriate definition

Answer 7

"Acid rain" is a broad term referring to a mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. The precursors, or chemical forerunners, of acid rain formation result from both natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2)1 and nitrogen oxides (NOx)2 resulting from fossil fuel combustion. In the United States, roughly 2/3 of all SO2 and 1/4 of all NOx come from electric power generation that relies on burning fossil fuels, like coal. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. The result is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from power plants and other sources, prevailing winds blow these compounds across state and national borders, sometimes over hundreds of miles.

Answer 8

its made up of sulphur from factory and exaust fumes combining with water in the clouds to form sulphuric acid.

it eats limestone buildings, kills trees and aquatic life.

to measure acid rain you would prob have to get a sample and use some universal indicator in it.

acid rain in common in sweden, where the prevailing wind carries fumes from the uk over to sweden. sorry sweden.

Answer 9

the idea that there is so much polution in the air that when it rains the water pick it up, and brings it to the earth poluting the soil. and causing damage to other things like cars and houses.

Answer 10

acid rain is producec when you burn fossil fuels.
the sulfer cobines with water droplets fornoming mild sulfuric acid.
kill of of forrests soch as the royal fir in N.A.
and the black forrest in germany.

Answer 11

Acid rain is created when the chemicals from autos and factories are pumped into the air. and mix with...
www.epa.gov/airmarkets/acidrain