OPPapers.com Essay Index >> Science >> Acid Rain
We have many free term papers and essays on Acid Rain. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine.
Acid Rain. The Effects of Acid Rain on Lakes and Trees Acid rain has long been
argued by society's most formidable minds. It indirectly ...
The Effects Of Acid Rain On Lakes And Trees. The Effects of Acid Rain on Lakes and
Trees Acid rain has long been argued by society's most formidable minds. ...
Acid Rain Is Pollution. Acid rain ... Environmental damage from acid rain has been
reported in northern Europe and North America. High levels ...
Acid rain is pollution. Acid rain ... Environmental damage from acid rain has been
reported in northern Europe and North America. High levels ...
Acid Rain. ... This kind of pollution may also be suspended in fog or deposited in a
dry form. Acid rain is most common in North America and Europe. ...
Submitted by oppapers on May 12, 2000
Category: Science
Words: 3430 | Pages: 14
Views: 1404
Popularity Rank: 3,105
Average Member Grade: N/A (Add a Comment / Grade this Paper)
Acid rain is rain that is more acidic than normal. Acid rain is a complicated problem. Caused by air pollution, acid rain's spread and damage involves weather, chemistry, soil, and the life cycles of plants and animals on the land and from acid rain in the water.
Scientists have discovered that air pollution from the burning of fossil fuels is the major cause of acid rain. Power plants and factories burn coal and oil. Power plants use that coal and oil to produce the electricity we need to heat and light our homes and to run our electric appliances. We also burn natural gas, coal, and oil to heat our homes.
The smoke and fumes from burning fossil fuels rise into the atmosphere and combine with the moisture in the air to form acid rain. The main chemicals in air pollution that create acid rain are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Acid rain usually forms high in the clouds where sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water, oxygen, and oxidants. This forms a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Sunlight increases the rate of most of these reactions. Rainwater, snow, fog, and other forms of precipitation containing those mild solutions of sulfuric and nitric acids fall to the earth as acid rain.
Water moves through every living plant and animal, streams, lakes, and oceans in the hydrologic cycle. In that cycle, water evaporates from the land and sea into the atmosphere. Water in the atmosphere then condenses to form clouds. Clouds release the water back to the earth as rain, snow, or fog. When water droplets form and fall to the earth they pick up particles and chemicals that float in the air. Even clean, unpolluted air has some particles such as dust or pollen. Clean air also contains naturally occurring gases such as carbon dioxide. The interaction between the water droplets and the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and to a lesser extent, from chlorine which is derived from the salt in the sea, gives rain an...
You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!