What are the 2 gases that cause acid rain?

What are the 2 gases that cause acid rain?

Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are emitted into the atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The SO2 and NOX react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with water and other materials before falling to the ground.

What are the two main contributors to acid rain?

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) released into the air by fossil-fuel power plants, vehicles and oil refineries are the biggest cause of acid rain today, according to the EPA. Two thirds of sulfur dioxide and one fourth of nitrogen oxide found in the atmosphere come from electric power generators.

Is carbon dioxide responsible for acid rain?

Because carbonic acid is a relatively weak acid, the ability of carbon dioxide alone to generate true “acid rain” is very limited. Acid rain is caused by industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides (which form much stronger acids when equilibrated in rainwater).

What are acidic pollutants?

acidic pollutants – harmful particles, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, that turn into acid when they mix with water and oxygen in the sky. alkaline – a term used to describe substances that have a value higher than 7 on the pH scale.

Which gas is most responsible for acid rain?

sulfur dioxide
The gas most responsible for the “acid rain” effect on plants and water systems is sulfur dioxide, although carbon dioxide is the most plentiful combustion product emission gas.

Which of the following pollutant causes acid rain?

Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain.

How do greenhouse gases cause acid rain?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), acid rain is created when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), as well as particulate matter (very fine particles), undergo a chemical reaction when exposed to water and oxygen. This reaction creates airborne sulfuric and nitric acids – aka, acid rain.

Which of the following pairs of gases is responsible for acid rain?

Acid rain is formed by the reaction of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

What are the pollutants that cause acid rain?

How acidic is acid rain?

Typical acid rain has a pH value of 4.0. A decrease in pH values from 5.0 to 4.0 means that the acidity is 10 times greater.

What are the gases that cause acid rain?

Which Gases Cause Acid Rain? Acid rain is mostly caused by gaseous sulphur dioxide and gaseous nitrogen dioxide. These gases are produced as a by product from the combustion of fuels. In the atmosphere, sulphur dioxide is converted into sulphuric acid via an oxidation reaction. Nitrogen dioxide is transformed into nitric acid due

What causes nitric acid to form in the atmosphere?

The electric discharge into the atmosphere as a result of lightning can facilitate the formation of nitric acid from oxides of nitrogen and water. Thus, the presence of gases like nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide (in excess) in the atmosphere can contribute towards acid rain.

How are so 2 and NO x related to acid rain?

The SO 2 and NO X react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with water and other materials before falling to the ground. While a small portion of the SO 2 and NO X that cause acid rain is from natural sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels.

How is the acidity of acid rain measured?

Acidity and alkalinity are measured using a pH scale for which 7.0 is neutral. The lower a substance’s pH (less than 7), the more acidic it is; the higher a substance’s pH (greater than 7), the more alkaline it is. Normal rain has a pH of about 5.6; it is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves into it forming weak carbonic acid.