Lesson 6 - Chemical Changes – Part II
Topic: Understanding Acid Rain
LI............................................................................................................................................................................
Success Criteria. I can:
1. describe how combustion can cause acid rain.
2. describe the effects of acid rain.
3. discuss various treatment and prevention strategies related to acid rain.
Starter
The trees were destroyed by air pollution, mainly.....................................................
Air pollution is produced largely by ....................................................................Acid rain is one type
of .....................................................
The soil can neutralise with a certain amount of acidity but, if the soil becomes too acidic, it limits the amount of
nutrients that can be absorbed by the trees’ roots.
Introduction
• ......................................................is slightly acidic, with a pH of approximately ……..
• However, .............................................can reduce the pH to 4 or lower.
• This is ………………………………., which can ............................................., ………………………..and
even …………………………...
• This is a worldwide problem.
How does burning affect acid rain?
• ………………………………….pollutes the air with chemicals such as …………………………………
sulfur dioxide and ………………………………….
• …………………………………. is formed when the sulfur found in some fossil fuels (such as coal and
oil) is oxidized during .........................................
• …………………………………. are formed when ………………….. from the air is oxidized during
combustion.
• Both .............................................and ...........................................are
…………………………………………………………...
• They rise up into the atmosphere and dissolve in water to form .............................................and
.............................................
• These acids can then ……………………..………………………………….
Activity 1
1. List three chemical pollutants caused by combustion.
……………………..………………………………….……………………..……………………………………….........
2. Describe how sulfur dioxide gas and nitrogen oxide gases form acids in the clouds.
……………………..………………………………….……………………..………………………………….
……………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Explain how pollution produced in the UK could cause acid rain in another country.
……………………..………………………………….……………………..………………………………….
……………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Worksheet Q1 How does acid rain form? >
a) Place a number in the box beside each statement to show the right order about how acid
rain is formed.
A Sulfur dioxide gas rises into the atmosphere and dissolves in water to form sulfuric acid.
B The rain falls as acid rain.
C As fossil fuels are burned, sulfur in them reacts with oxygen in the air to form sulfur
dioxide gas.
D The sulfuric acid forms part of clouds.
E The clouds become rain clouds.
b) Nitrogen oxides can also form acid rain. Name the type of acid that nitrogen oxides form.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
c) Explain how acid rain can fall in places where no fossil fuels are burned.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Th Effects of Acid Rain on plants
• Acid rain can kill whole trees or even whole sections of forest. This is because:
• Acid rain can damage the leaves of plants – this means that photosynthesis cannot happen efficiently.
• Acid rain dissolves some useful nutrients from the soil, and they then wash away before the plant has
had time to absorb them.
• Acid rain can cause harmful chemicals, such as aluminum, to be released into the soil, which are then
absorbed by the plant.
• Acid rain looks and feels like normal rain.
• However, the chemicals that cause acid rain can be harmful to humans.
• This can cause respiratory diseases such as ……………..…… and ……………..……...
• Acid rain can even damage ……………..………. and ……………..…….
• This is because the ……………..……………………the …………………and wears it away.
Activity 2
1. Describe the effects of acid rain on:
• Plants
……………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
• Humans
……………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
• Buildings
……………..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Suggest why forests are usually damaged slowly by acid rain.
……………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…….……………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………
Worksheet Q2 The damage caused by acid rain >>
Explain why each of the effects of acid rain below is a problem.
d) Acid rain wears away some stone.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
e) Acid rain damages the leaves of plants.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
f) Acid rain causes metals, such as aluminium, to become soluble in soil.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Treatment and Prevention
• Acid rain would be reduced by …….……………..……………….
• To do this, we could ……………………….. the amount of …….……………..………………………………..
• We could also use alternative energy sources such as………………………. or
……………………………….
• Power stations can also ………………….. the gaseous emissions to …….……………..
…………………………...
• This is called ‘……………………………’ and the process uses an alkali to neutralize the gas.
• Lakes affected by acid rain can be treated using ……………………………. (calcium oxide).
• This is an …………………. that neutralizes the ………………………...
Activity 3
1. Explain why we cannot easily stop burning fossil fuels.
…….……………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Suggest some reasons why wind power and solar power are not used more widely.
…….……………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Suggest how you could test the effectiveness of calcium oxide on acid rain.
…….……………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
