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Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides dissolve very easily in water and can be carried very far by the wind. As a result, the two compounds can travel long distances where they become part of the rain, sleet, snow, and fog that we experience on certain days. Human activities are the main cause of acid rain.
Sulfur is found as a trace element in coal and oil. When these are burned in power plants and industrial boilers, the sulfur combines with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide (SO2). Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the atmosphere. When heated to the temperatures found in steam boilers and internal combustion engines, it can combine with oxygen from the atmosphere to form nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide. SO2 and SO3 from car exhaust and factory emissions combines with water vapor in the air to form H2SO3 and H2SO4 (sulfurous acid and sulfuric acid). It is mostly SO2 that is emitted so it is mostly sulfurous that is formed.
This are chemical reactions that are involved in acid rain:
1.SO2 + H2O -> H2SO3 (Sulfurous Acid)
2.SO3 + H2O -> H2SO4 (Sulfuric Acid)
3.NO2 + OH -> HNO3
•What is Acid rain?
Is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions. It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. Another definition of acid rain could be, mixture of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. Acid rain occurs when these gases react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds.