Acid rain

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/acid-rain

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary anthropogenic sources?Combustion of fossil fuels in power generation, industrial processes, and transportation
2. What is acid rain and why does it taste sour?Acid rain is rain, snow, fog, or dry particles that have a low pH, usually between 4 and 5. It becomes sour because gases from factories turn into acids in the air and mix with water droplets.
3. Why does acid rain hurt forests and trees?Acid rain leaches important nutrients like calcium and magnesium from the soil and damages tree bark and leaves. This makes trees weaker and more vulnerable to drought, heat, and pests, which can lead to forest decline.

Anthropogenic: Originating from human activity rather than natural processes.
Hydrolysis: A chemical reaction involving the breaking of a bond in a molecule using water.
Transboundary Pollution: Pollution that originates in one country but causes harm in another country.