Acid Rain And Calcium Carbonate

Chemguide: Core Chemical science 14 - 16

Environmental problems involving the air - acrid rain

This page takes a quick look at the causes and effects of acid rain.

The pH scale

The pH scale is used to measure the acidity of a solution. The key points are:

• A pH of 7 shows the solution to be neutral.

• A pH below 7 shows the solution to exist acidic. The lower the number, the more acidic a solution is.

• A pH above 7 shows the solution to be alkaline. The higher the number, the more element of group i a solution is.

• Because of the way the calibration is defined, each shift of ane pH unit of measurement means a ten times shift in the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. So a solution with a pH of v is ten times more acidic than one with a pH of 6.

An introductory video

This 5 minute video is a useful summary of acid rain, although it isn't quite complete enough as it stands. I volition requite you a summary of the main points and some extra comments.

The causes of acid rain

Formation of sulfuric acid

Fossil fuels such as coal and oil contain sulfur compounds. When these are burned, the sulfur reacts with oxygen in the air to brand sulfur dioxide. Further reactions in the air give a very, very dilute solution of sulfuric acid - acid rain.

Some fossil fuels such as petrol (gasoline) and natural gas are treated to remove sulfur to preclude this happening.

Germination of nitric acid

Virtually nitric acrid originates from burning fossil fuels such equally coal, petrol (gasoline) and diesel oil - either in vehicles or in power stations.

When fuels burn, at the high temperatures produced, some of the nitrogen and oxygen in the air combine to make nitrogen oxides, collectively know equally NO_ten - mainly NO and NO₂.

Whatever NO formed reacts with oxygen in the air to form NO₂.

The NO₂ so undergoes further reactions to give a very, very dilute solution of nitric acrid - acrid rain.

The effects of acrid pelting

The effect on vegetation

Acid pelting tin change soil chemistry. It can free-up aluminium ions previously bound into the soil so that they get taken upwardly by plants and trees. Aluminium ions are poisonous and can kill the plant or tree.

The hydrogen ions in the acid tin also gratis-upward metal ions necessary for establish growth and which are also normally bound into the soil - for example, calcium, magnesium and potassium. The rain so washes them away.

The acidification of lakes

Run-off of acid rain into lakes can acidify the lakes to the extent that fish and other aquatic animals and plants are killed.

Weathering of limestone

Limestone, calcium carbonate, is a common building material, simply carbonates react with acids.

You can find details on old limestone buildings or statues where the abrupt outline is blurred considering the surface has weathered due to acrid rain.

Acid Rain And Calcium Carbonate,

Source: https://www.chemguide.uk/14to16/air/acidrain.html

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