Education Technology

Science: Vernier - Acid Rain

by Vernier Software & Technology

Overview

Students use the pH sensor to measure changes in the pH when CO2 dissolves in water. They also study the changes in the pH when sulphuric acid is added to water and identify water bodies most likely to be affected by acid rain.

Key Steps

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    For Part 1 of this activity, students measure the pH of water for 60 seconds while they exhale through a straw to dissolve carbon dioxide into the water.

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    In Part 2, students add drops of sulfuric acid into distilled water, ocean water, lake water and a buffer solution and measure the pH to observe what acid rain might do to different bodies of water around the earth.