All flashcards
Flashcard 1: Which pH level is considered neutral?
Answer: pH 7. Neither acidic nor basic on the pH scale.
Flashcard 2: What is the main component of acid rain that affects buildings?
Answer: Sulfuric acid. Strong acid that aggressively attacks building materials.
Flashcard 3: What is the main component of acid rain that affects buildings?
Answer: Sulfuric acid. Strong acid that aggressively attacks building materials.
Flashcard 4: What is the effect of acid rain on soil nutrients?
Answer: Leaches essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium. Acid mobilizes nutrients, making them unavailable to plants.
Flashcard 5: What is acid rain?
Answer: Precipitation with a pH less than 5.6. Normal rain is slightly acidic at pH 5.6 due to dissolved CO₂.
Flashcard 6: What role do trees play in the acid rain cycle?
Answer: Trees absorb and store acidic water, affecting soil and habitats. Forest canopy intercepts acidic precipitation, concentrating effects.
Flashcard 7: What is wet deposition?
Answer: Acidic rain, fog, and snow. Direct delivery of acids through precipitation events.
Flashcard 8: What is the process of neutralizing acid rain in lakes?
Answer: Lime addition or liming. Lime raises pH by neutralizing acidic water chemistry.
Flashcard 9: Which ecosystems are most affected by acid rain?
Answer: Forests and aquatic ecosystems. These ecosystems are particularly sensitive to pH changes.
Flashcard 10: How does acid rain affect soil pH over time?
Answer: Lowers the soil pH, making it more acidic. Cumulative acid inputs gradually reduce soil alkalinity.
Flashcard 11: How does acid rain affect visibility?
Answer: Reduces visibility due to sulfate and nitrate particles. Fine acidic particles scatter light, creating haze conditions.
Flashcard 12: Which international body regulates transboundary air pollution?
Answer: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). European organization managing cross-border pollution agreements.
Flashcard 13: What pH value classifies rainwater as acidic?
Answer: A pH value below 5.6. Normal rainwater is pH 5.6 due to natural carbonic acid formation.
Flashcard 14: State one major effect of acid rain on aquatic life.
Answer: Lower pH levels can harm or kill aquatic organisms. Acidic water disrupts fish reproduction and survival rates.
Flashcard 15: Identify a health effect of acid rain on humans.
Answer: Respiratory issues due to inhalation of fine particles. Acid rain precursors form harmful particulate matter in air.
Flashcard 16: What kind of soil is most vulnerable to acid rain?
Answer: Soils low in calcium and magnesium. These soils lack buffering capacity to neutralize acids.
Flashcard 17: What is acid rain?
Answer: Precipitation with a pH less than 5.6. Normal rain is slightly acidic at pH 5.6 due to dissolved CO₂.
Flashcard 18: What is dry deposition?
Answer: Acidic gases and particles settling out of the atmosphere. Acidic compounds fall to earth without precipitation involvement.
Flashcard 19: What is the effect of acid rain on soil nutrients?
Answer: Leaches essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium. Acid mobilizes nutrients, making them unavailable to plants.
Flashcard 20: What is the primary source of nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere?
Answer: Automobile exhaust. Internal combustion engines produce significant NOₓ emissions.
Flashcard 21: Identify one way to reduce acid rain through energy policy.
Answer: Promote renewable energy sources. Clean energy reduces fossil fuel combustion and emissions.
Flashcard 22: How does acid rain affect human-made structures?
Answer: It corrodes buildings and monuments, especially limestone. Acids react with calcium carbonate in stone, causing deterioration.
Flashcard 23: What is a common method for reducing nitrogen oxide emissions?
Answer: Catalytic converters in vehicles. These devices reduce NOₓ emissions from vehicle exhaust.
Flashcard 24: What is wet deposition?
Answer: Acidic rain, fog, and snow. Direct delivery of acids through precipitation events.
Flashcard 25: Which international agreement addresses acid rain?
Answer: The Gothenburg Protocol. European agreement to reduce sulfur and nitrogen emissions.
Flashcard 26: Name one natural buffer that neutralizes acid rain.
Answer: Calcium carbonate in limestone. This mineral neutralizes acids through chemical reactions.
Flashcard 27: Identify one economic impact of acid rain.
Answer: Damage to fisheries and agriculture. Reduced productivity and infrastructure damage cost billions annually.
Flashcard 28: What is acid deposition?
Answer: The settling of acid or acid-forming pollutants from the atmosphere. Includes both wet and dry forms of acidic pollution fallout.
Flashcard 29: What human activity is a major source of sulfur dioxide?
Answer: Burning fossil fuels. Coal and oil combustion releases large amounts of sulfur compounds.
Flashcard 30: Identify one method to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.
Answer: Install scrubbers in industrial smokestacks. Scrubbers remove sulfur compounds before gases are released.