Acid Rain
Acid Rain
Acid Rain
notably the excessive amounts of sulfur and nitrogen released by cars and industrial processes. Acid rain is also called acid deposition because this term includes other forms of acidic precipitation such as snow. Acidic deposition occurs in two ways: wet and dry. Wet deposition is any form of precipitation that removes acids from the atmosphere and deposits them on the Earths surface. Dry deposition polluting particles and gases stick to the ground via dust and smoke in the absence of precipitation. This form of deposition is dangerous however because precipitation can eventually wash pollutants into streams, lakes, and rivers. Acidity itself is determined based on the pH level of the water droplets. PH is the scale measuring the amount of acid in the water and liquid. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with lower pH being more acidic while a high pH is alkaline; seven is neutral. Normal rain water is slightly acidic and has a pH range of 5.3-6.0. Acid deposition is anything below that scale. It is also important to note that the pH scale is logarithmic and each whole number on the scale represents a 10-fold change. Today, acid deposition is present in the northeastern United States, southeastern Canada, and much of Europe including portions of Sweden, Norway, and Germany. In addition, parts of South Asia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Southern India are all in danger of being impacted by acid deposition in the future.
monuments and statues made of marble, limestone or other rock are slowly eroding away due to the effects of acid rain.
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Precipitation - Measuring Precipitation The Hydrologic Cycle - The Water Goes Around and Around Aquifers
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http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to: Define acid rain Explain the cause of acid rain Explain the effects of acid rain on vegetation Explain the effects of acid rain on water Explain the effects of acid rain on man-made objects Explain the effects of acid rain on humans Describe what can be done to solve the acid rain problem