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Earth and Human Activity: Human Impact
Acid Rain
Description
Acid Rain
Acid rain is a type of precipitation that contains higher-than-normal levels of acids. It forms when sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) are released into the air—often from burning fossil fuels in power plants, vehicles, and factories—and then mix with water vapor in the at...
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Transcript
Acid rain is rain with a pH lower than 5, making it more acidic than normal rain.
Normal rain has a pH of about 5.6. That’s because carbon dioxide in the air dissolves in rain, forming weak carbonic acid.
When fossil fuels are burned, gases like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air.
The...
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