Organic Chemistry> What is acid rain?...

What is acid rain?

Kumkum , 10 Years ago

Grade 12

2 Answers

Arun Kumar

Last Activity: 10 Years ago

Hello Student

Most rainfall is generally slightly acidic due to carbonic acid from carbo dioxide in atmosphere.
But acid rain is caused when sulpher dioxide and nitrogen oxide are washed out from the atmosphere by the rain as weak sulphuric acid and nitric acid. Acid rain can cause serious damages to crops, and leaches calcium ions from soil and plant leaves causing an ionic imbalance.

Thanks & Regards
Arun Kumar
Btech, IIT Delhi
Askiitians Faculty

sumit kumar

Last Activity: 10 Years ago

Oxides of sulphur and nitrogen which are released by burning of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbons products when reach into atmosphere, undergo chemical changes to form sulphurdioxide and nitrogen dioxides. These oxides of nitrogen and sulfur react with rain water to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid as follows

NO₂ +H₂O –> HNO₃

SO₃ +H₂O –> H₂SO₄

These strong acids come down to earth along with the rain water and thus the rain is known as acid rain. Acid rain is very harmful for quatic life, plants and also monuments.

Solphuric acid reacts with calcium carbonate of monuments to form calciumsulphate which is yellow in colour.