ACID RAIN

What is Acid Rain? Acid rain is a result of air

pollution. When any type of fuel
is burnt, lots of different
chemicals are produced. The
smoke that comes from a fire or
the fumes that come out of a car
exhaust don't just contain the
sooty grey particles that you
can see - they also contains lots
of invisible gases that can be
even more harmful to our
environment. Power stations,
factories and cars all burn fuels
and therefore they all produce
 The rain from these clouds then
What is Acid Rain? falls as very weak acid - which is
why it is known as "acid rain".
Some of these gases (especially
nitrogen oxides and sulphur
dioxide) react with the tiny
droplets of water in clouds to
form sulphuric and nitric acids.
Measuring Acid Rain
The pH (Hydrogen potential) scale is
used to measure the acidity or
alkalinity of an aqueous solution and is
determined by the hydrogen ion
content (H+). This scale was invented
by a Danish scientist called Sorenson
in 1909.

The pH scale ranges from 0, which is

strongly acid, to 14 which is strongly
alkaline, the scale point 7 being
neutral.

Acidity is measured using a scale

called the pH scale. This scale goes
from 0 to 14. 0 is the most acidic and
14 is the most alkaline (opposite of
 Rain is always
slightly acidic
because it mixes
with naturally
occurring oxides
in the air.
Unpolluted rain
would have a pH
value of between
5 and 6. When
the air becomes
more polluted
with nitrogen
oxides and
Sulphur dioxide
the acidityc to a

Consequences of Acid Rain
Acid rain also increases the acidity
Acid rain has a lot of harmful effects
on ecosystems and materials. By
increasing the acidity of the waters
of rivers and lakes, it produces
major disruptions in aquatic life.
Some species of plants and animals
can adapt to new conditions to
survive in water acidity, but not
others.
of the soil, and this causes changes
in the composition thereof,
producing leaching important plant
nutrients and infiltrating toxic, such
as cadmium, nickel, manganese
Consequences of Acid Rain
Vegetation is not only the
consequences of soil degradation,
but also a direct contact damage
that can potentially cause death in
some cases the species.

Historic buildings, which were

made of limestone, also experience
the effects of acid rain. The stone
upon contact with the acid rain
reacts and transforms into gypsum.
Also metallic materials corrode at a
much faster speed.
 THANKS

Student: Saldarriaga Silva Logan

Joel
Teacher: Mariano Calero Merino
Course: Elementary English
C.U. 1942015063