Acid Rain | Introduction
Introduction
Did you know that acid rain can also be acid snow, acid fog, or even acid dust? Acid rainA form of precipitation that is significantly more acidic than neutral water, often produced as the result of industrial processes and pollution. is a form of precipitation that is significantly more acidic than neutral water. The pH scale offers a way to compare the acidity of substances, including rain. pH (the abbreviation for potential hydrogen) is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The symbol pH refers to the concentration of hydrogen ionsAn atom or groups of atoms that carry an electrical charge—either positive or negative—as a result of losing or gaining one or more electrons. present in a liter of fluid. The pH scale ranges from 0 (greatest concentration of hydrogen ions and therefore most acidic) to 14 (least concentration of hydrogen ions and therefore most alkalineHaving a pH of more than 7.). An alkaline solution is also called a baseA water-soluble compound that when dissolved in water makes an alkaline, or basic, solution with a pH of more than 7.. The number 7 represents a neutral solution, such as pure water.
Water with a pH of 4 is ten times more acidic than water with a pH of 5. A pH of 4 is one hundred times more acidic than a pH of 6. So you can see that a small increase or decrease in pH makes a big difference in acid levels.