ACID RAIN. What is Acid Rain? Rain that has been made acidic by certain pollutants in the air ◦ Forms when nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides combine with.

ACID RAINACID RAIN

What is Acid Rain?What is Acid Rain?Rain that has been made acidic

by certain pollutants in the air◦Forms when nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides combine with water in the air to form nitric acid and sulfuric acid

Sources of Acid RainSources of Acid RainHuman activities (power plants,

vehicles and burning fossil fuels)Reactions in the environment

◦Chemicals react with normal precipitation and form acid rain

Why is Acid Rain harmful?Why is Acid Rain harmful?Causes health problems

◦Respiratory diseasesHarms forests

◦Acid strips nutrients from leaves and needles on trees

◦Aluminum in soil makes it hard for trees to take up water

Damages Lakes and streams◦Can be deadly to aquatic life

Damages Building and objects◦Strip off paint, wear down on materials

Effects of Acid RainEffects of Acid Rain

Statue of Liberty- result of Statue of Liberty- result of oxidation, NOT acid rainoxidation, NOT acid rain

What is being done to What is being done to control it?control it?Government regulations and new

technologies◦Clean Air Act of 1990

Reducing pollution (scrubbers)Other sources of energy (solar

and wind)Cleaner cars (catalytic converter)

What can you do?What can you do?Conserve energy

◦Turn off electrical equipment when not in use

◦Encourage parents to buy energy saving equipment

◦Limit air conditioning◦Adjust your thermostat◦Recycle◦Walk◦Carpool

pH scalepH scaleMeasures how acidic an object isAcids are from 0 - 6.9Bases are from 7.1 – 14Neutral substances (pure water) are

7Normal rain is slightly acidic = 5.0 -

5.5Acid rain is typically around 4.0 (ten

times greater than normal rain)

pH scalepH scaleA logarithmic scale, based on

powers of 10.A pH change of 1 equals a 10 fold

change in Hydrogen ion concentration◦A pH of 6 is 10x more acidic than a

pH of 7The pH increases as the number

of Hydrogen ions (H+) decreases