How do you make artificial acid rain?

Question

I am in 8th grade and I am doing a science fair prodject on acit rain. Here is what I got so far;
Get rain samples from different locations across texas to determine which areas have the most acidic rain. Look at the effects of acid rain by taking the adverage acidity level of rain in texas. I will do this by getting 2 slabs of limeston (common in texas) and making 2 'water fountains' one with acid rain and one with distilled water.

I really want to be in the top three so if you have a way to inprove this or you can tell me how to make artificail acid rain...tell me!

Answer 1

I like your idea so far. I would concentrate on getting as many samples from several important areas. Say 2 or 3 from open, less densely populated areas away from industry and 2 or 3 from areas that you would think would have the most industry and thus most acidic rain. Then measure the acidity of the samples using an accurate ph test kit.

For your display, in my own opinion, there would be no way to collect a large enough sample of acid rain to run across a rock and create a visible evidence of the effect of acid rain in a short period of time. The acidity of the rain will not be low enough to do visible damage, unless you are starting now for your senior project. What might work would be to get hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid and mix up a relatively strong solution of that and circulate it over the rock. That might produce some visible result that you can use for demonstrating the effect of acid on limestone. Obviously, being in eighth grade will require the use of an adult to be responsible for this part. You don't want to be the one blamed if a hole gets burned through the kitchen floor do you?

However, be sure to acknowledge that the rain you collected was not by itself responsible for the damage in such a short time. It would be irresponsible to accelerate the results for effect without acknowledging it.