acid rain lab assignment

Easy Peasy All-in-One High School

An extension of the easy peasy all-in-one homeschool, acid rain lab.

Effects of Acid Rain Lab

Objectives:

To visualize the effects of acid rain on a living organism.

How does simulated acid rain affect the germination of a lima bean?

• 3 cups or containers
• 3 Ziploc bags
• 15 dry (not canned) lima beans (soak in warm water overnight before using)
• paper towels
• Number each of the cups or containers as 1, 2, or 3.
• Cup #1 “Rainwater:” Fill cup or container with 2 cups of plain water (tap water would be fine).
• Cup #2 “Mild Acid Rain:” Fill cup or container with ½ cup vinegar and 1 ½ cups of water.
• Cup #3 “Strong Acid Rain:” Fill cup or container 2 cups of vinegar.
• Soak a paper towel in each of the cups.
• Label each Ziploc bag as 1, 2, or 3.
• For each bag place the respective paper towel in with 5 presoaked lima beans.
• Write a hypothesis answering the question posed at the beginning of the lab.
• Observe their growth over the next 5 days adding more liquid if necessary to the paper towels.

Example of Data Table:

Lab Report:

Create a lab report that includes the following elements:

• What is acid rain?
• How does acid rain occur?
• Do background research. How does acid rain affect plants? Is it currently a problem for plantlife?
• Completed data table.
• Did your results support or refute your hypothesis? Why or why not?
• Summarize your results.
• What percentage of beans germinated in each type of “rain?”
• What were some sources of error in your experiment?
• Other than plants, what other things are damaged by acid rain?
• What are some ways of reducing acid rain so that it will not continue to harm organisms in the environment?

From a Georgia Virtual Learning assignment source

Acid Rain Assignment

• Identify the causes of acid rain.
• Explain how acid rain is formed.
• Explain how acid rain impacts the environment.
• Identify ways to prevent the formation of acid rain.
• Explain sources of human impact on the environment from chemical disposal/production.
• Balance a chemical equation.
• Identify types of chemical reactions.
• Predict the products of chemical reactions.
• Calculate pH from concentration and vice versa.
• Calculate concentration using percent by mass and by volume.

Related Textbook

Please read section 17.9 of your textbook before completing this assignment. The information provided here will help you complete this assignment.

Introduction

Acid rain is caused by burning fossil fuels containing nitrogen and sulfur.  When burned, fossil fuels release nitrogen and sulfur, which react with oxygen to form sulfur oxides (such as sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide) and nitrogen oxides (such as nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide).  These chemicals then react with the water in the air to produce sulfurous acid, sulfuric acid, nitrous acid, and nitric acid.  The presence of these acids in rainwater lowers the pH, making the rain more acidic.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration website, petroleum, natural gas, and coal, all of which are fossil fuels, have provided more than 80% of the total US energy consumption for the past century.  In 2015, 81.5% of US energy consumption was met by the use of fossil fuels.

The resources below explain in more detail how acid rain is formed, the impacts of acid rain, and how to prevent the formation of acid rain. Review these resources to learn more about acid rain.

Environmental Protection Agency Information on Acid Rain:

• What is acid rain: https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain
• Effects of Acid Rain: https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects-acid-rain

Acid Rain by Fuse School

Reducing acid rain and it’s effects by fuse school.

Answer the following questions using the information provided in the assignment introduction, your textbook, and the concepts we have learned in this class. Your assignment must be handwritten. Typed submissions will not be accepted and will earn a zero. You must show all of your work on the calculations to earn credit. Upload your completed assignment to the “Acid Rain assignment folder” on Brightspace. This assignment is worth 25 points.

• Explain how fossil fuels, which are made of carbon and hydrogen, contain sulfur compounds. (2 points)
• Explain how nitrogen is released into the air to form nitric acid and nitrous acid, causing acid rain. (2 points)
• What are 3 specific ways acid rain impacts the environment? (3 points)
• What are 3 specific ways to reduce the amount of acid rain produced? Be sure to address both the production of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides in your answer.  (3 points)
• Acid rain is formed when sulfur dioxide or nitrogen dioxide is released into the air from burning fossil fuels and then reacts with the water in the air. Balance the equations for the formation of sulfur dioxide and nitric acid, illustrated below: (2 points each)

Reaction 1:                FeS 2(s) +     O 2(g)  →  Fe 2 O 3(s) +      SO 2(g)

Reaction 2:                NO (g) +     O 2(g)   →  NO 2(g)

• What type of chemical reaction (single replacement, double replacement, combination, decomposition, combustion) is illustrated in Reaction 2 above? (1 point)
• Calcium oxide or sodium carbonate can be used to scrub the sulfur dioxide from emissions from power plants. One of the videos illustrated a reaction between calcium oxide and sulfur dioxide to produce calcium sulfite.  When sulfur dioxide reacts with sodium carbonate, sodium sulfite and carbon dioxide gas are produced.  Using this information, write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction of sulfur dioxide and sodium carbonate. (4 points)
• The pH of a sample of rainwater water is 5.6. What is the hydronium concentration in this sample of rainwater? (0.5 point)
• The pH of a sample of acid rain is 4.3. What is the hydronium concentration of this sample of acid rain? (0.5 point)
• According to data obtained from Statista.com, the United States burned 587 tons (532.5 metric tons) of coal in 2019. If coal contains 3.5% sulfur, how many grams of sulfur are released by coal burning in 2019 in the US? Write your answer in scientific notation.  You must show your work to receive credit for this problem.  (1 metric ton = 1,000,000 grams) (5 points)

“Acid Rain.” YouTube , Fuse School, 10 Aug. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf8cuvl62Vc .

“Reducing Acid Rain Or Its Effect.” YouTube , Fuse School, 10 Aug. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VILCk2CpUCw .

“Effects of Acid Rain.” EPA , Environmental Protection Agency, 4 May 2020, www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects-acid-rain .

Sönnichsen, Published by N., and Jul 14. “Coal Consumption United States 2006-2019.” Statista , 14 July 2020, www.statista.com/statistics/243934/coal-consumption-in-the-united-states/ .

“U.S. Energy Information Administration – EIA – Independent Statistics and Analysis.” Fossil Fuels Still Dominate U.S. Energy Consumption despite Recent Market Share Decline – Today in Energy – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) , 1 July 2016, www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=26912 .

“What Is Acid Rain?” EPA , Environmental Protection Agency, 12 May 2020, www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain .

This page was created on February 15, 2023, and was last updated on August 4, 2023.

©2023 Catherine Haslag. All Rights Reserved.

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Learning About Acid Rain: A Teacher's Guide for Grades 6 through 8

This book is intended for teachers of students in 6th-8th grade.  It is written at a 6th grade level and the language, concepts, and experiments may need to be adapted for other grades accordingly. 

View this book in the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP)

Printable PDF:

• Acid Rain Teacher's Guide for Grades 6-8 (pdf) (4.6 MB)
• Acid Rain Home
• What is Acid Rain?
• Effects of Acid Rain
• Acid Rain Program
• Acid Rain Program Results

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• Acid Rain Effects

Hands-on Activity Acid Rain Effects

Grade Level: 6 (5-6)

Time Required: 45 minutes

Expendable Cost/Group: US $2.00

Group Size: 4

Activity Dependency: None

Subject Areas: Chemistry

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Curriculum in this Unit Units serve as guides to a particular content or subject area. Nested under units are lessons (in purple) and hands-on activities (in blue). Note that not all lessons and activities will exist under a unit, and instead may exist as "standalone" curriculum.

• Acid and Base Rainbows
• Is That Legal? A Case of Acid Rain
• The Effects of Acid Rain
• Visual Literacy: Tears in Acid Rain

TE Newsletter

Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, more curriculum like this, introduction/motivation, troubleshooting tips, activity extensions, activity scaling, user comments & tips.

Acid rain is a complex environmental problem that concerns many environmental and chemical engineers. When engineers examine the acid rain damage to water, wildlife, forests, crops and structures, they consider the impact on human health. Engineers design many useful technologies that help industry reduce the amount of harmful pollutants released into our air. Engineers also help to develop laws that prevent or limit factories and industries from burning fossil fuels (which release pollutants), or require them to minimize their pollutant output.

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Discuss how engineers are working to prevent pollution and acid rain.
• Use an indicator to differentiate between acidic, basic and neutral solutions.
• Use their observations to describe the cause-effect relationship of acid rain.
• Observe and describe some of the harmful effects of acid rain on living and non-living items.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science, common core state standards - math.

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

State standards, colorado - math.

Each group needs:

• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup distilled water
• 2 medium-sized eggshell pieces
• 2 small green leaves
• 2 paperclips
• 2 small- or medium-sized glass jars
• masking tape and pen (for labeling containers)
• two 1.5-inch strips of wide-range (0-14 pH) litmus paper; since groups need to use the comparison chart included with the litmus container, obtain enough dispensers for each group to have one; litmus paper is available from chemistry supply companies (such as Fisher) and well-equipped hardware stores.
• Acid Rain Effects Worksheet , 1 per student (for recording data and answering questions)

Acid rain is an environmental problem that concerns many environmental and chemical engineers. Engineers are always considering the possible effects of acid rain on the health of humans and the environment when they investigate damage to bodies of water, wildlife, forests and crops, and contamination of the drinking water supply.

Acid rain is defined as any form of wet precipitation (rain, snow, fog, dew or sleet) that has a pH less than 5.6 (on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral). Large quantities can also be deposited in a dry form through dust. Acid rain is more acidic than normal rain and forms through a complex process of chemical reactions involving air pollution and water molecules in the air. The two most important pollutants that contribute to the formation of acid rain are nitrogen and sulfur compounds, which react with moisture in the atmosphere to form nitric and sulfuric acid.

The sulfur and nitrogen compounds that contribute to acid rain primarily come from combustion products (burning coal and oil) from large industrial and utility sites. Emissions also come from automobiles and other forms of transportation, and other industrial processes.

The effects of acid rain may not be immediately apparent. For example, at a glance, a lake might look clear and beautiful, but a closer look may reveal few living organisms. Some species of fish cannot survive in water with a pH of less than 5. Clams, snails, crayfish and other crustaceans, brook trout, walleyed pike and bullfrogs are especially sensitive to acid in their water supply. Thus, the pH does not have to decrease very much before fish cannot survive. Insects, birds and mammals are also highly affected by acid rain. Acid rain can alter soil chemistry, nutrient availability and plant growth. In their weakened condition, trees and shrubs become vulnerable to insects, diseases and fungus infestations. For more information, see the Acid Deposition Reading and Approximate pH of Common Substances References Sheet .

One way that we can help prevent acid rain is by burning less fossil fuel. Some types of industries that burn a lot of coal and oil include large power plants, and paper and wood processing plants. Engineers have helped to develop laws that prevent or limit large factories and industries from burning fossil fuels or that require them to minimize their pollutant output. Engineers have also developed many useful technologies to help industry reduce the harmful pollutants in the air, but the companies must adhere to the laws and use these technologies.

Before the Activity

• Practice this activity at home prior to using it in your classroom.
• Gather materials and make copies of the Acid Rain Effects Worksheet .

With the Students

• Divide the class into groups of four students each.
• Distribute supplies to each group.
• Ask students to use the pH paper to measure the pH of the vinegar and the distilled water, and record it on their worksheets.
• Ask the students to make some predictions. If vinegar contains acid (acetic acid), then how will the items placed in vinegar change? If these items are placed in water, will they change in the same ways as in the vinegar?
• Have students use masking tape and pens to label one jar "vinegar" and the other one "water."
• Pour 1 cup of vinegar into the vinegar jar. Place a paperclip, piece of eggshell and a green leaf in the vinegar. Put the lid on the container.
• Pour 1 cup of distilled water into the water jar. Place a paperclip, piece of eggshell and a green leaf in the distilled water. Put the lid on the container.
• Let the jars sit overnight on a windowsill or protected area.
• The next day, remove the container lids. Observe any changes in the condition of the items in the jars. Ask students to write their observations on their worksheets. (Expected results: In the water containers, the items show no noticeable changes. In the vinegar jars, the eggshells are soft, the leaf may have brown spots [this may take a few days], and the paperclip shows no noticeable changes.)
• After one week, look for more changes. Make observations again, as often as you wish.
• Direct students to complete the questions on their worksheets and/or discuss as a class.

Pre-Activity Assessment

Prediction : Using the Acid Rain Effects Worksheet , ask students to record some predictions. If vinegar contains acid (acetic acid), how will the items placed in vinegar change? If these items are placed in water, will they change in the same ways as in vinegar?

Activity Embedded Assessment

Observations : Using the Acid Rain Effects Worksheet , ask students to record their observations of what happens to the items after one day and one week.

Worksheet : Ask students to complete the questions on their Acid Rain Effects Worksheets . You may wish to discuss some of these as a class.

Post-Activity Assessment

It's a Community Issue! : Ask students to write a detailed description of how acid rain would affect their world. For example, the tree on the playground, the pencil they use, a local crop or a local park, etc.

Safety Issues

Remind students not to taste the "acid rain" even though it is made of vinegar.

Allow at least 24- 48 hours for the effects of the vinegar to appear in the leaf and eggshell.

Look at photographs on the Internet or in books/magazines that show evidence of damage due to acid rain. Discuss the general and specific types of damage to living and non-living things.

If you know of physical evidence of acid rain in your community, arrange a field trip to see and examine it.

Observe the effects of acid rain on living plants. Water a control plant with distilled water and the other with vinegar water (1 tablespoon vinegar per 1 cup distilled water). You can also water them both with distilled water and spritz them with distilled water or vinegar water to more accurately simulate rain. Discuss/explore materials that could be added to the soil to counteract the effects of the acid rain.

Try the vinegar experiment with a whole, raw egg, or a piece of chalk.

Make a third solution (perhaps of lemon juice or a vinegar/water mix) and compare/rank the results or make a bar graph.

Have students read and discuss the Acid Deposition Reading .

• While this activity is appropriate for all grade levels, for lower grades, consider observing and discussing the effects as a class. Encourage students to draw pictures of the results (and for assessment).
• For upper grades, have students measure a precise volume of vinegar and water.
• For upper grades, ask students to use graph paper (this may be easier with irregular shapes), or measure length and width to determine the area of the eggshell and leaf.
• For upper grades, have students measure the mass of the eggshell, leaf and paperclip before and after the experiment.

Students are introduced to acids and bases, and the environmental problem of acid rain. Students also conduct a simple experiment to model and discuss the harmful effects of acid rain on our living and non-living environment.

Students are introduced to the differences between acids and bases and how to use indicators, such as pH paper and red cabbage juice, to distinguish between them. They learn why it is important for engineers to understand acids and bases.

Students are introduced to the primary types of erosion—chemical, water, wind, glacier and temperature. Students investigate examples of each erosion type and discuss how erosion changes the surface of the Earth.

Students are introduced to the concepts of air pollution, air quality, and climate change. The three lesson parts (including the associated activities) focus on the prerequisites for understanding air pollution. First, students use M&M® candies to create pie graphs that express their understanding o...

Air Quality, Project A.I.R.E. (Air Information Resource for Educators). Last updated on October 15, 2002. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Accessed October 31, 2004. Originally found at: http://www.epa.gov/region01/students/teacher/airqual.html

Investigations in Science – Ecology . Huntington Beach, CA: Creative Teaching Press, 1995.

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation (GK-12 grant no. 0338326). However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the Department of Education or National Science Foundation, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: May 21, 2021

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ACTIVITY in Observations , Chemical Change , Interdisciplinary , Acid Base Reactions , Classification of Reactions , Chemical Change , Acid Rain , pH . Last updated March 11, 2022.

In this activity, students will investigate the chemistry of acid rain through web based research. Students will also have the opportunity to observe the reaction between a common acid and a material in a week long simulation and relate their findings to the effects of acid rain.

Grade Level

High school

By the end of this activity, students should be able to

• Describe the components of acid rain as well as its effects on various environments.
• Interpret observations of chemical change in an acid reaction.

Chemistry Topics

This activity supports students’ understanding of

• Chemical Reactions
• Chemical Change

Teacher Preparation : 10 minutes

Lesson : 30 minutes for web assignment; 15 minutes/day, for 3-4 days for observations

(Per group)

• 25 ml vinegar
• One uncooked egg
• Glass container with lid
• pH paper with pH chart
• Graduated cylinder
• Small paint brush
• Always wear safety goggles when handling chemicals in the lab.
• Wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the lab.
• Follow the teacher’s instructions for cleanup of materials and disposal of chemicals.
• When working with acids, if any solution gets on your skin immediately rinse the area with water.

Teacher Notes

• This resource could be used as a post-AP Chemistry exam activity.
• On the first day students should complete the webquest portion of this activity in the beginning of the class period, followed by the set-up of the acid rain simulation with the egg and vinegar.
• Materials listed are per student group. I would suggest placing students in groups of 2-3 for the simulation portion of the activity.
• The vinegar used in the simulation can be any type of vinegar (apple cider, white, etc.)
• It is possible that an egg may break at some point, so it is helpful to have multiple jars within a class so students can observe the entire process even if their egg doesn’t last through the entire week.
• Observation check-ins can be adjusted as needed with your class schedule. I would suggest having 3-4 observations after the start of the simulation.
• Students should be familiar with molecular names, formulas and reactions at this point. If students haven’t been exposed to this content yet, adjust the analysis questions as needed.

Cross-Disciplinary Extensions

Connect to Reading Read articles linking the declining bird population with acid rain.

• Songbird Population Declines, linked to acid rain
• Acid Rain Linked to Bird Decline

Connect to Writing Write a summary essay explaining the types of acid rain and the effects on the bird population.

Connect to Social Studies | Track the governmental regulations that have been enacted since the early 1960’s to the present for diminishing the emissions of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides.

For the Student

Visit the EPA website to thoroughly answer the next five questions using your own words.

Navigate through the information provided to help answer each of the questions.

• What is acid rain?
• What are causes of some acid rain?
• Why is acid rain harmful?
• What is being done to reduce acid rain?
• What can you do to help reduce acid rain?

Visit the SoftSchools.com website to thoroughly answer the next five questions using your own words.

• When was acid rain first recognized?
• When did people begin to note the crisis and looked for solutions?
• What is the general pH range of acid rain?
• What emissions do power plants produce that contribute to acid rain?
• What emissions do vehicles produce that contribute to acid rain?
• What consumer products have similar pH values as acid rain?

Visit the YPTE website to thoroughly answer the next five questions using your own words.

• How does acid rain spread?
• Why is nitrogen a problem?
• How can the damage be restored?
• What can be done to help reduce acid rain?
• Describe how mass transit would play a role in diminishing acid rain.

Part 2: Acid Rain Simulation

Acid rain and vinegar have similar pH values. Over the next week you will observe and record the effect that vinegar has on an egg shell.

• Carefully place a single egg inside one of the glass containers.
• Record your qualitative observations about the egg shell in the data table (color, hardness, etc.)
• Measure 25 ml of vinegar in a graduated cylinder.
• Pour all the vinegar onto the egg in the jar. Using the paint brush, apply the vinegar to the shell of the egg, so that the entire surface has been saturated with vinegar.
• Touch the paint brush to a strip of pH paper. Compare the color change with the pH color chart. Record the pH value in the data table.
• Seal the jar with the lid, and place the jar in a safe place.
• After 24 hours return to the jar.
• Remove the lid, and dip your paint brush in the jar and touch it to a new piece of pH paper. Record this value in your data table.
• Again record your qualitative observations about the egg shell in the data table, specify color, hardness, etc. Wear gloves if you remove the egg from the jar.
• Seal the jar with a lid, and place the jar in a safe place.
• Repeat steps 7-9 several times during a week (complete 3-4 observations after the first day).
• After a week, wearing gloves remove the egg from the jar and gently rinse the egg with water. Record your final observations.

Observations

• How does the pH of vinegar compare with the average pH of acid rain? Refer to your webquest if needed.
• What indicators of chemical change did you observe on the egg shell during the week trial?
• Research to find out what the main chemical component of an egg shell is. Record its chemical name and chemical formula.
• Research to find out what the acid in vinegar is called. Record its chemical name and chemical formula.
• What kind of reaction took place between the egg shell and the vinegar?

What other materials contain the same chemical as the one found in egg shells? Reflect on the egg and vinegar reaction, why was this done, and how was it helpful as you learned about acid rain?

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Lesson Plan

Grades 9-12

This lesson plan must be purchased as part of a lesson packet or as part of a full curriculum that is available in our store.

Several class periods

SUBJECTS: Math, Science

TOPICS: Air Pollution, Water Pollution

Resource Overview

Students test different pH solutions on radish seeds to determine the optimal level for seed germination and use the results to identify effects of acid rain.

Students will be able to:

• Determine the acidity of a substance by testing with pH paper.
• Measure and graph the results of a lab experiment with radish seeds.
• Compare the effects of different levels of acidity on seed germination and plant growth.

Features of This Resource

• Students practice lab preparation and experiment management
• Lesson great for environmental science
• Lab worksheet provided offers clear step-by-step instructions and a means for recording data

How Do I Get This Lesson Plan?

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• Acid Rain and Seed Germination

In this lab, students will use pH sensors to determine the effect of acid rain on the germination of bean seeds.

Grade Level: Middle School

Subject: Life Science

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Wireless pH Sensor

Here’s the best tool for measuring pH since litmus paper. The Wireless pH Sensor connects via Bluetooth® to monitor the pH of solutions.

Many lab activities can be conducted with our Wireless , PASPORT , or even ScienceWorkshop sensors and equipment. For assistance with substituting compatible instruments, contact PASCO Technical Support . We're here to help. Copyright © 2018 PASCO

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Middle School Life Science Teacher Guide

More experiments.

High School

• Plant Growth and Water Content

Middle School

• Program a Sunny Day for Plants
• Thermoregulation
• Optimize Water Movement in a Greenhouse
• How a Greenhouse Works: Light

The Effect of Acid Rain on Seed Growth

Using radish seeds, and various dilutions of vinegar, students will conduct an experiment to determine the effect of acid on the seeds. Prior to this lab students will have discussed acid rain and will have also determined the pH of several common substances (baking soda, vinegar, distilled water, ammonia, lemon juice for example). Students will decide what solutions from to test, design the test, create a data table, record data and analyze results.

Expand for more detail and links to related resources

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Grade level.

Learning Goals

Context for use, description and teaching materials, teaching notes and tips, references and resources.

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Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Acid rain lesson student worksheet.

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What is acid rain? Acid Rain is a term used to describe the phenomena of rainfall that contains lower than normal readings of pH due to inputs of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide compounds into the atmosphere. These compounds come from power plants and other industries that burn fossil fuels for energy. Scientists are concerned about acid rain and its impact on the environment. For this lesson we will focus specifically on the affects of acid rain on lakes and aquatic life although acid rain's impacts are much broader.

How Acidic is Rain in New York State? A pH scale is used to measure acidity, with 0 being the most acidic and 14 the most alkaline. A value of 7 is neutral. Solutions with a pH of less than 7 are acids, while those with a pH greater than 7 are bases. A decrease in pH represents an increase in acidity, and an increase in pH represents a decrease in acidity. The scale also is logarithmic, meaning that a one-unit change actually represents a tenfold change. Rainfall is somewhat acidic by nature, due to atmospheric carbon dioxide (gas) reacting with precipitation (rain drops) to make carbonic acid, a weak acid. The acidity of rainfall is critical for the weathering of rocks and formation of soils on land. Without it there would not be the needed minerals and nutrients in soils to grow plants. However, acid rain is intensifying this weathering process and can have negative impacts on the landscape and surface waters where transported ions and sediments end up. While normal rainfall is slightly acidic (about 5.5) the average pH of rainfall in New York State ranges from 4.0 to 4.5 - 30 times more acidic than "normal". Below is a graph that illustrates the acid rain cycle.

Acid Rain and the Environment When acid rain falls to the earth it interacts with landscape features which affects how it will impact the environment. Much of the research on the detrimental effects of acid rain has been conducted in the Adirondack region of New York State where the igneous/metamorphic bedrock in this region and the thin, slightly acidic soils lack the ability to neutralize the inputs from acid rain. In the Finger Lakes region however, calcareous soils and limestone outcrops which contain Ca CO 3 (calcium carbonate) are dominant in the landscape and provide a "buffer" against acid rain. Source: Lajewski, C. K. et. al. Geological Society Bulletin 2003.

Below are links to bedrock maps of the regions discussed:

Finger Lakes Adirondacks

Acid rain has many negative impacts on the environment. Acid rain can alter the pH of surface water such as lakes and streams stressing aquatic life that is adapted to certain pH levels. Acid rain also can erode to concrete buildings and monuments. And the particles in acid rain can contribute to health problems for people with respiratory illness like asthma or bronchitis.

Below are links that provide some good background information about water quality and pH and the impacts of acid rain. You may ask students to do some of their own research as well.

Glossary of Terms pH and Water Quality What is Acid Rain? Acid Rain Impacts on the Environment

Lesson Outcomes

Through this lesson and accompanying activity students will:

• Understand the dynamics of acid rain and its impact on the living and non-living environment.
• Hypothesize how acid rain affects water pH levels in two lake systems with differing watershed features.
• Learn to make scatter plot charts of data sets using MS Excel computer software.
• Analyze trends in charts.
• Interpret data from charts and table.

MST Standards

• Standard 1 Key 1, Key 3
• Standard 2 Key 1
• Standard 4 Key 2, Key 6
• Standard 5 Key 3, Key 6

Lesson Objectives

In this lesson you will be investigating the relationship between acid rain and pH levels in two lakes: Morehouse Lake in the Adirondacks and Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes. To do this you will be using data on pH levels collected from both lakes for the years 1993-2007 and making two charts. You will be using these charts along with the charts provided in the lesson to answer the questions A-E. Although the charts will help you to answer some of the questions you will need to refer to the website links found at the bottom of the page for further information. At the end of this lesson you should have completed:

• Two charts: Avg pH in Morehouse Lake; Avg pH Seneca Lake
• Answered questions A-E using your generated charts, the charts and table provided and the website links as references.

In this activity you will make two charts showing a line graph of the average pH concentrations in the surface waters of a lake in the Adirondacks - Morehouse Lake, and for a lake in the Finger Lakes region - Seneca Lake, for the years 1993-2007. Follow the steps below to complete the activity.

Step 1) Copy and paste to copy the data sets (including the headers) shown here into an Excel file.

Morehouse and Seneca lakes data

Activity for Users of Excel Before 2007

Activity for Users of Excel Version 2007

The two charts that students generate should look like this:

Answer the questions below. Additional information can be found at the websites listed.

A.   What is the general trend of the pH levels in the lakes over the past ten years? The general trend has been for the pH levels to increase. The magnitude of these increases may not seem apparent to the students when they view the charts and see only a unit increase in pH levels from one year to the next. Remind students however that the increase in pH from one unit to the next is logarithmic or exponential. The articles enphasize that scientists are claiming the increase in pH levels are apparent but may not keep going up if there are not more restrictions placed on emissions from power plants and vehicles.

B.   How would you explain this trend? The increase in pH values over the past ten years has been linked to the Amendments to the Clean Air Act of 1990. Although scientists agree that the 1990 Amendments have helped reduce the impacts of sulfur dioxide emissions, they are unclear whether the Amendments have had as great an impact on Nitrogen Oxide emissions. Scientists from Syracuse University and the University of Maine caution that further reductions in emissions may be needed to bring the lakes in the Northeast back to health.

C.   Which lake system has a greater potential to buffer the effects of acid rain and why? Recent research conducted by scientists from Syracuse University has shown that the soils and underlying bedrock in the Finger Lakes region buffer the effects of acid rain and actually contribute to an "alkalization" of the lakes. Scientists call this phenomena a "chemical weathering" of the bedrock in the region which increased rapidly in the 1820s when the region was deforested, leveling off and then beginning again after World War II and into the 1990s. See links below for the actual study and the a synthesis of the study for the student handout.

Lajewski Study of Finger Lakes and Acid Rain Acid Rain in the Finger Lakes Acid Rain in the Adirondacks

D.   Charts A & B show the annual average pH of rainfall at a monitoring site in Huntington NY (Adirondacks) and Aurora NY (Finger Lakes) over the past ten years.

• For each region acid rain precipitation shows an increase in pH levels.
• The reductions of sulfur emissions due to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 which reduced the amount of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere reducing the amount of sulfur in acid rain.
• The data show the most obvious upward trends for both regions. In the 1990's the pH levels of the acid rain were actually lower in the Finger Lakes region than in the Adirondacks. Students are then asked to observe why then would we see lower pH levels in Morehouse Lake in the Adirondacks vs. Seneca Lake during this period of time?
• As the pH levels in the acid precipitation have increased for both regions, the pH levels in the lakes reflect this trend with higher pH levels in the surface waters.
• When acid precipitation falls in the Adirondacks the soils and bedrock lack the ability to buffer the effects of the acids. Morehouse Lake is also more acidic to begin with so the pH levels have remained acidic. However, in the Finger Lakes region the limestone bedrock and calcareous soils are able to buffer the effects of acid rain by the chemical weathering of calcium carbonate and the pH levels of the lake have remained basic.

• 1993-1999 were critical years for Morehouse Lake as pH levels dipped to 4.0 at one point before going back up to 6.0. The health level of the lake was at an all time low of 4 where insects and frogs and some fish may have been affected. Fish eggs would not have hatched.

E.   Using the charts you made on pH levels in Seneca Lake and Morehouse Lake and the table below answer the following questions about the health of the water body if pH is the only factor.

pH and Effect on Aquatic Organisms

Source: Center for Earth and Environmental Science at Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis.

Bonus Question: Hypothesize and explain two factors that may cause a body of water to change pH. pH levels are also affected by photosynthesis and respiration of plant life in the lakes. During photosynthesis plants take up CO2 which causes the pH levels to increase,at night when plants are respiring the pH levels will naturally decrease as CO2 is released. Episodic acidification is also possible when there is a sudden snow melt or rainfall releasing acidic pollutants into watersheds. Other factors that will affect pH are the release of chemicals from industrial pollution and vehicle emissions.

Link to other lesson plans on pH

pH and plants pH Effects on Aquatic Life