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Definition: acid rain from Philip's Encyclopedia

Rain that is highly acidic because of sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and other air pollutants dissolved in it. Acid rain can severely damage both plant and animal life; certain forests have died and lakes have lost all fish and plant life because of acid rain. It also damages buildings and statues. The major causes of acid rain are motor vehicle emissions, industrial processes, and the burning of fossil fuels in power-stations.


acid rain

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Acidic precipitation thought to be caused mainly by the release into the atmosphere of sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ), which dissolve in pure rainwater making it acidic. Sulphur dioxide is formed by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, that contain high quantities of sulphur; nitrogen oxides are produced by various industrial activities and are present in car exhaust fumes. Acidity is measured on the pH scale, where the value of 0 represents liquids and solids that are strongly acidic and 14 represents those that are highly alkaline. Distilled water is neutral and has a pH of 7. Normal rain has a value of 5.6. It is slightly acidic due to the presence of carbonic acid formed by the mixture of CO 2 and rainwater. Acid rain has values of 5.6 or less on the pH scale. Acid deposition occurs not only as wet precipitation (mist, snow, or rain), but also comes out of the atmosphere as dry particles ( dry deposition ) or is absorbed directly by lakes, plants, and…
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Full text Article acid rain

From Environmental History and Global Change: A Dictionary of Environmental History
Most rainfall is slightly acidic due to carbonic acid formed from atmospheric CO 2 . In acid rain pollution is due to SO 2 and nitrous oxides reacting to produce H 2 SO 4 and nitric acid. Normal rainfall has a pH of around 5; anything lower than this is acid rain. Acid rain was first identified in…
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Full text Article Acid Rain

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Introduction Acid rain or, more precisely, acid deposition, is the increased acidity of rainfall and dry deposition as a result of human activity. Rain is naturally acidic because of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, with a pH of about 5.6. Acid rain can have a pH as low as 3.0 (in comparison, …
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Background Acid rain is caused by emissions from power plants and vehicles, which contain sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen . Once in the atmosphere, these chemicals combine with water to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid respectively. When these acids are released from the atmosphere, in the…
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Full text Article Acid Rain

From Guide to Global Hazards
Acid rain is rain that is highly acidic because of sulphur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, and other air pollutants dissolved in it. Normal rain is slightly acidic, with a pH of 6. The pH scale ranges from one for extremely acidic to 14 for extremely basic or alkaline, with seven being neutral. The pH…
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Full text Article acid rain

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Acidic precipitation thought to be caused mainly by the release into the atmosphere of sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ), which dissolve in pure rainwater making it acidic. Sulphur dioxide is formed by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, that contain high quantities of…
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Full text Article acid rain

From The Macquarie Dictionary
highly acidic rain, caused by pollution in the atmosphere. Plural: acid rains Acid rain is formed when airborne pollutants from the burning of fossil fuels, and from industrial activities and vehicles emissions, as well as from natural events such as bushfires, undergo reactions with water vapour…
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Full text Article acid rain

From Dictionary of Energy
Acid rain is a popular term for the atmospheric deposition of acidified rain, snow, sleet, hail, acidifying gases and particles, as well as acidified fog and cloud water. The increased acidity of these depositions, primarily from the strong acids, sulfuric and nitric, is generated as a byproduct…
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Full text Article acid rain

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
or acid deposition, form of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, or hail) containing high levels of sulfuric or nitric acids ( p H below 5.5–5.6). Produced when sulfur dioxide and various nitrogen oxides combine with atmospheric moisture, acid rain can contaminate drinking water, damage vegetation and…
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Full text Article acid rain

From The American Heritage Student Science Dictionary
acid rain
Rain or other precipitation that is highly acidic. acid rain We normally think of rain as a pure, life-giving substance, but in many parts of the world it is polluted with acids that can cause great harm to living things. How does this happen? When fossil fuels such as coal, gasoline, and oil are…
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Full text Article Acid Rain

From The Visual Guides: Understanding Weather and The Environment Full text Article POLLUTION
Description Time Total Time Rain is naturally a bit acid. 00:02 - 00:04 00:01:18 However, some atmospheric pollutants dangerously increase this natural acidity. 00:06 - 00:11 These gases are emitted mainly by motor vehicles and by industry. 00:13 - 00:17 When they combine with the water in clouds, …
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