WHAT IS ACID RAIN?

• Generally, rain water has a pH value

of 5.6 because of the carbon
dioxide from air dissolved in it.

• Any rainfall has a pH value less

than 5.6 is defined as acid rain.
• When gas pollutants e.g. sulphur
dioxide, nitrogen dioxide dissolve
in rain water, various acids are
formed.
CO 2 + H2O → H2CO3 (carbonic acid)
SO2 + H2O → H2SO3 (sulphorous acid)
NO2 + H2O → HNO2 (nitrous acid) +
HNO3 (nitric acid)
CAUSES OF ACID RAIN
SO2 : 70% NOx : 30%
X = 1 or 2
 FORMATION OF
ACID RAIN
SO2
NOX
SMOKE FROM
FACTORIES
 ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS

1.Vegetation
• Wash away essential nutrients ions
from soil
• Poor growth of plants.
 2.Aquatic Life

• Inflow of acidic water containing

poisonous metal ions
• Kill the fish and water plants
 3. Building
• Acid rain attacks the building
materials and causes corrosion.
 On-line References

• http://igc.apc.org/acidrain/

• http://beakman.com/acid/acid.html

• http://qlink.queensu.ca/~4lrm4/
 Your Task
• Your town council is commissioning a
new statue to be displayed downtown.
You and your lab partner will conduct
an experiment to investigate the effect
of acid rain on various building
materials in order to make a
recommendation to the town council as
to the best material to use for the
statue. In your experiment, vinegar (pH
≈ 3) will simulate acid rain.
 Research Question

Of pea stone, red

sandstone, and granite,
which material is the BEST
for building a weather
resistant statute?
 Hypothesis
If pea stone, red sandstone, and
granite are subjected to acid rain
(pH ≈ 3) then granite will
deteriorate the least because it is
the most resistant to weathering.
 Independent Variable

Type of building
material (pea stone,
red sandstone, and
granite).
 Dependent Variable

Difference in Remaining Mass

(grams)
(final mass of stone – initial
mass of stone)
 Control Group
Instead of acid rain test
(submerge) the building materials
(pea stone, red sandstone, and
granite) in tap (pure) water with a
pH of ≈ 7.
 Variables that must be kept
constant
• Same amount of time in the vinegar
(24 hours).
• same amount of vinegar (100 mL),
same mass of building material (20
g).
• same balance.
• same brand of vinegar.
• same size container/lid.
 Procedure
• Obtain a sample of each rock and record the
mass of the sample in grams on the data table.
• Pour vinegar into each cup until the stone is
completely covered.
• Let the stone sit for 24 hours.
• Pour the vinegar out of each cup and mass the
stone.
• Record the final mass of each type of stone in
the data table.
• Subtract the original mass from the final mass of
each stone and record the data.
 Data Table
Type of Stone Mass Day 1 Mass Day 2
(grams) (grams)

Pea stone

Red
Sandstone

Granite