Name ______Date ______

Period # ____

Acid Rain in the U.S.

Air Pollution Virtual Lab

Objectives: Define acid rain and describe its causes. Test the pH of rainwater samples and plot the information on a map of the United States. Describe the relationship between the occurrences of acid rain and sulfur dioxide emissions in the United States.

Procedure:

  1. Access the following link:
  1. Read the information on the left of the screen to answer the Prelab questions below.
  1. Now that you know more about acid rain, you are ready to collect some data! Click a Test Tube Holder to select a set of test tubes to test. Click a Test Tube to test the pH of the water sample.
  1. Enter the state's pH value into the map. To do this, click a state, then click the color in the legend that corresponds to the state's pH value. If you do not have a printer, record the pH values and SO2 values for each state on the attached map. (Use the color key on the right side of the map to identify the pH of states that have already been tested. There is no data for Alaska or Hawaii.)
  1. Repeat steps 1-3 for all the states' rainwater samples then use your data to answer questions #7-12 below.

Prelab Questions:

  1. What is acid rain?

Acid rain is any type of precipitation that is more acidic than normal rain

  1. How is it formed?

The primary cause of acid rain is air pollution from burning fossil fuels

  1. How does acid rain affect the environment?

Kills vegitation

  1. Besides the effect on the environment, does acid rain has any other harmful effects?

Accelerates weathering in metals and stone structures

  1. What two air pollutants are associated with the formation of acid rain?

Sulfer dioxide, carbon dioxide

  1. What are the sources of these air pollutants?

Industries, car emissions

Data Analysis:

  1. According to your pH test result, where in the U.S. is acid rain most severe?

vermont

  1. Sulfur dioxide is the main air pollutant associated with acid rain.

true

  1. Which state in the U.S. release the most sulfur dioxide annually?

florida

Conclusion:

  1. Based on your analysis, is there a relationship between a state's sulfur dioxide emissions and the average pH of its rain water?

The more sulfer dioxide there is, the higher acidity the water is

  1. How might you explain the fact that Vermont and New Hampshire, states with very low sulfur dioxide emission, experience acid levels that are among the most severe in the country?

The prevailing westerlies blow the sulfer dioxides from other states there

  1. Discuss at least three possible ways to reduce acid rain.

Coal that contains less sulphur

"Washing" the coal to reduce sulphur content

Natural Gas