What is acid rain

McGee, Elaine. What is Acid Rain Acid Rain and Our Nations Capital. U.S. Geological Survey. Available online. URL http // pubs.usgs.gov/gip/acidrain/2.html. Accessed Dec. 17,2006. 

What is acid rain How does it form Give an example of an acid that may be dissolved in acid rain. 

What is acid rain What causes it and where is the problem the greatest ... 

In what sense is acid rain a secondary air pollutant What is the chemistry behind the formation of most acid rain constituents Explain how particles in the atmosphere may be either primary or secondary air pollutants ... 

A molecule can change its spots. Thus, although CO2 is an acid-base complex, it can behave as a Lewis acid if the opportunity arises. Let s watch what happens when CO2 dissolves in water, to give what in one context is acid rain and another is soda water (Figure 9.2). 

In a relatively small continental area such as Europe, there is not much difference between what would be considered the regional scale and the continental scale. However, on most other continents there would be a difference between what is considered regional and what continental. Perhaps of greatest concern on the continental scale is that the air pollution policies of a nation are likely to create impacts on neighboring nations. Acid rain in Scandanavia has been considered to have had impacts from Great Britain and Western Europe. Japan has considered that part of their air pollution problem, especially in the western part of the country, has origins in China and Korea. Cooperation in the examination of the North American acid rain problem has existed for a long time between Canada and the United States. 

Nitric oxide (NO) is a minor but villainous component of the atmosphere. It is involved in the formation of both smog (Chapter 11) and acid rain (Chapter 14). You may be surprised to learn that small amounts of NO are also produced in the human body, where it has a generally beneficial effect. In particular, it has the ability to dilate blood vessels, lowering blood pressure and reducing the likelihood of strokes or heart attacks. Beyond that, NO is effective in treating what television commercials refer to as erectile dysfunction it increases blood flow to the penis. 

Hydrogen sulfide is released primarily as a gas and will spread in the air. However, in some instances, it may be released in the liquid waste of an industrial facility. When hydrogen sulfide is released as a gas, it may form sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid in the atmosphere. Sulfur dioxide can be further broken down and is a major contributor to acid rain. Hydrogen sulfide is estimated to remain in the atmosphere for an average of 18 hours. You will find more about what happens to hydrogen sulfide when it enters the environment in Chapters 4 and 5. 

Use what you have learned about titration to design a field investigation to determine whether your area is affected by acid rain. Research the factors that affect the pH of rain, such as location, prevailing winds, and industries. Form a hypothesis about the pH of rain in your area. What equipment will you need to collect samples To perform the titration What indicator will you use ... 

What sulfur-containing compound is present in acid rain, and how is it formed by the burning of sulfur-containing fossil fuels ... 

Air pollution is one of the worst problems caused by industries, agriculture, power stations, aerosols and other chemicals, and coal and other fires. As a result we suffer from headaches, respiratory tract infections and ailments, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, eye problems, and eventually a profound breakdown in health manifested by various cancers. Other environmental hazards include lead from gasoline — which causes hyperactivity and birth defects — acid rain, carbon monoxide poisoning, water pollution, and radiation. Clinical ecologists treat illnesses and disorders that they believe stem from an individual s reaction to these environmental factors. They practice what is known as environmental medicine, and they estimate that between 10 and 30% of the population suffers from some form of ecological disease (Thomas, 1997 and General References). 

So what are nitrogen oxides Where does they come from And why is there a concern about the amount that enters the atmosphere Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a brownish, highly reactive gas that is present in all urban atmospheres. N02 can irritate the lungs, cause bronchitis and pneumonia, and lower resistance to respiratory infections. Nitrogen oxides are an important precursor both to ozone (Oj) and acid rain, and may affect both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The major mechanism for the formation of NO2 in the atmosphere is the oxidation of the primary air pollutant, nitric oxide (NO). NOx plays a major role, together with VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), in the atmospheric... 

The term acid has entered modern speech in terms such as acid rain , acid parties , acid indigestion , etc. These terms are used in conversational language but not in a scientifically correct way. In science we need to define clearly what is meant by acid . Similarly, confusion of terminology has arisen with the word base , e.g. meaning low or bottom, as in the word basement . 

The actual measured pH of rainwater in equilibrium with atmospheric pC02 is somewhere around 5.6. Values of pH below 5.6 can either be due to an increased pC02 or to industrial emissions causing what is known as acid rain. As shown, the dissolution of C02 in water is an cause of acid water (Table 2.10). However, considering that soils and/or geologic systems are sources of HCOJ and COj", when water contacts soil or... 

However, in polluted environments there are also oxides of sulfur and nitrogen present, which are stronger acids than carbon dioxide. When these oxides dissolve in rain droplets, the pH reaches values lower than 5.7, thus forming what is known as acid rain or — in a broader sense — acid deposition. 

Another question might it not have been more felicitous if Smith had coined the term acidic deposition rather than acid rain What is the aggregate ratio of dry to moist ... 

You have probably seen commercials in which products, such as that pictured in Figure 11 on the next page, are described as pH balanced. Perhaps you know that pH has to do with how basic or acidic something is. You may have learned that the pH of pure water is 7 and that acid rain has a lower pH. But what does pH actually mean ... 

What is the source of the sulfur that contributes to the formation of acid rain ... 

Compounds containing sulfur and oxygen are serious air pollutants they represent the major cause of acid rain. Analysis of a sample of a pure compound reveals that it contains 50.1% sulfur and 49.9% oxygen by mass. What is the simplest formula of the compound ... 

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