Question

Name two gases which are mainly responsible for acid rain?

Answer 1

Acid rain:

1. Acid rain is made up of very acidic water droplets that are formed as a result of air pollution, particularly high quantities of sulfur and Nitrogen produced by cars and manufacturing operations.
2. It is caused by sulfur and Nitrogen particles that mix with the rain's moist components. Sulfur and Nitrogen particles can be found in two ways: man-made or natural.
3. Man-made methods include industrial emissions and natural ways include such as lightning that strikes in the atmosphere, which emits Nitrogen oxides, and volcanic eruptions, which release Sulfur oxide.
4. Sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide are both oxidized before reacting with water to produce Sulfuric acid and Nitric acid, respectively. $\underset{\mathrm{Sulfur}\mathrm{dioxide}}{2{\mathrm{SO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Sulfuric}\mathrm{acid}}{2{\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}$ ,$\underset{\mathrm{Nitrogen}\mathrm{dioxide}}{4{\mathrm{NO}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}\to \underset{\mathrm{Nitric}\mathrm{Acid}.}{4{\mathrm{HNO}}_3\left(\mathrm{aq}\right)}$
5. Crops are affected by acid rain. It removes all nutrients that are important for plant growth and survival.
6. It affects both animals' and humans' respiratory systems.

Therefore, Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide are two gases mainly responsible for Acid rain.