Name _________________

Period # ____

Date ____________

Acid Rain in the U.S.

Air Pollution Virtual Lab
Objectives: Define acid rain and describe its causes. Test the pH of rainwater samples and plot the
information on a map of the United States. Describe the relationship between the occurrences of acid rain
and sulfur dioxide emissions in the United States.
Procedure:
1. Access the following link:
http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/CT11/CT11.html
2. Read the information on the left of the screen to answer the Prelab questions below.

3. Now that you know more about acid rain, you are ready to collect some data! Click a Test Tube Holder to
select a set of test tubes to test. Click a Test Tube to test the pH of the water sample.
4. Enter the state's pH value into the map. To do this, click a state, then click the color in the legend that
corresponds to the state's pH value. If you do not have a printer, record the pH values and SO2 values for each
state on the attached map. (Use the color key on the right side of the map to identify the pH of states that have
already been tested. There is no data for Alaska or Hawaii.)
5. Repeat steps 1-3 for all the states' rainwater samples then use your data to answer questions #7-12 below.
Prelab Questions:
1. What is acid rain? Precipitation that collects sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides, that have been
released into the atmosphere.

2. How is it formed? Factories or anything that produces sulfur emissions, release the chemical into the
atmosphere. The atmosphere has water vapor in it already so the sulfur is just pushed by the wind until
the rain, or snow, or hail, collects it. Once it is collected in the precipitation the rain falls as acid rain.

3. How does acid rain affect the environment? Acid rain effects the environment in long drawn out
processes. The rain takes a very long time to actually produce some kind of effect, therefore if an area
were receiving acid rain for a few months non-stop, there would be a large chance that the ecosystem
would be ruined.

4. Besides the effect on the environment, does acid rain has any other harmful effects? It can ruin the
water supply for humans, it can hurt a humans respiratory system, and studies show that acid rain in
products could be related to many diseases such as Alzheimers and asthma.

5. What two air pollutants are associated with the formation of acid rain? Sulfur dioxides, and nitrogen
oxides.

6. What are the sources of these air pollutants? From burning non-renewable resources, such as coal.

Data Analysis:
7. According to your pH test result, where in the U.S. is acid rain most severe? Vermont

8. Sulfur dioxide is the main air pollutant associated with acid rain. I would agree with that.

9. Which state in the U.S. release the most sulfur dioxide annually? Ohio produces the most sulfur
emissions.

Conclusion:
10. Based on your analysis, is there a relationship between a state's sulfur dioxide emissions and the
average pH of its rain water?
Yes, the states that typically have more sulfur production have more of an acidic water system.

11. How might you explain the fact that Vermont and New Hampshire, states with very low sulfur dioxide
emission, experience acid levels that are among the most severe in the country? Those states are
relatively small, but the states around them produce many sulfur emissions that are carried over.

12. Discuss at least three possible ways to reduce acid rain.

Use renewable resources rather than non-renewable resources.

Use less of coal in factories.
Filter out more of the harmful chemicals that are reduced into the atmosphere.