F.

5 Chemistry

Acid Rain
 Distribution of Work
Name Student ID Responsibility
Kwok Wan Wan 99086250 -content
-technical support
Lui Ching Lam 99243090 -editor
-content
Mok Hei Man 99200420 -editor
-visual design
Ng Wai Han 99242910 -information search
-technical support
Soo May Kei 99200750 -information search
-content
Target audience:
• F.5 chemistry students
• Average ability

Purposes:
• Introduce acid rain by lecturing
• Provide Q&A section for
evaluation
 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 dioxi
de, nitrogen dioxide dissolve in rain w
ater, various acids are formed.

CO2 + 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 Sulphuric Acid (H2SO4)
2SO2(g) + O2(g) 2SO3(g)
SO3(g) + H2O(l) H2SO4(aq)

Formation of Nitric Acid (HNO3)

2NO(g) + O2(g) 2NO2(g)
4NO2(g) + 2H2O(l) + O2(g) 4HNO3(aq)
 FORMATION OF
ACID RAIN
SO2
NOX
 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.
 Question and Answer
1. What is an acid rain?

2.What is the main air pollutants for

the formation of acid rain?
3.What is the pH range for the acid
rain?

4.What are the major sources of air

pollutants?
5.What is the side effect of acid rain on
plants?

6. What is the side effect of acid rain on

marine life?
7. What is the side effect of acid rain
on building material?
 On-line References

• http://igc.apc.org/acidrain/

• http://beakman.com/acid/acid.html

• http://qlink.queensu.ca/~4lrm4/
 Answer
1. Acid Rain is rain water with pH value l
ess than 6. This is the rainfall with ac
idity level beyond what is expected in
unpolluted rainfall

2. The main air pollutants are sulphur di

oxide and nitrogen dioxide.
SO2 NO2
 Answer

3. The unpolluted rain water is slightly aci

dic with pH about 5.6 because carbon diox
ide in the air dissolves in rain water to for
m a weak acid. So, the pH of acid rain wat
er is below 5.6.
 Answer
4. The major sources were motor
vehicles, factories and power stations.

5. Acid rain makes soils become acidic.

When the soil becomes acidic, the plant
will not grow well.
 Answer
6. When acid rain runs into rivers or
lakes, the pH value of water will goes
down below 5. The aquatic life in
water may die because of this.
 Answer
7. Most building materials made of lime
stone and marble. The acid rain water
mainly sulphuric acid will react with c
alcium carbonate from limestone and
marble to form calcium sulphate.
F.5 Chemistry

Acid Rain