How does Acid Rain Damage our Buildings?

This activity, using simple materials, seeks to explain the science behind acid rain and its impact on buildings and monuments.

Acid rain was a major problem in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, it still appears as so-called acid deposition¹ and not only harms water resources and living things, but also can cause damage to buildings, statues and historical artefacts made of marble and limestone. It is very important that students gain awareness and the right knowledge to act. This video tutorial can easily be incorporated into science, geography and history lessons.

The primary source of the polluting gases in the atmosphere leading to the formation of acid rain is the burning of fossil fuels, despite natural sources, such as volcanic eruptions, also contributing. The gases released by burning fossil fuels to meet energy needs are the biggest causes of acid rain. One of the negative effects of acid rain is that it damages historical monuments. Acid rain causes the fine details of historical monuments to disappear. To reduce the occurrence of acid rain, using less electricity at home, choosing public transportation and riding a bicycle are among the precautions that can be taken. We should focus on clean energy sources and raise awareness on this issue.

This project is interdisciplinary and includes

• mathematics (take measurements, presenting results and analysing data),
• communication skills (communicating and writing about environmental problems),
• science (providing suggestions for solving an environmental problem in the immediate environment, addressing environmental problems that may occur in the future as a result of human activities),
• geography (identify the regions of the planet where the effects of acid rain are most pronounced),
• and history (where you can see monuments and their history, where the degradation effects of acid rain are clearly visible).

Students will develop critical thinking skills, communication abilities and environmental awareness.

With this worksheet, students will learn about the effects of acid rain on buildings and monuments, gain awareness of environmental problems and learn to contribute to a sustainable future.

You can download it as docx and pdf file.

Nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides are the pollutant gases that react with water in the atmosphere to form acids that increase the acidity of rainwater. In addition to acid rain, there is also acid snow, acid sleet and hail, even acid fog.

The pH of pure water is 7, at 25 °C, the pH of normal rainwater is about 5.6. Rainwater is naturally acidic, but the term acid rain is applied to rainwater with a pH below 5.6. Acid rain is the combination of sulphur and nitrogen dioxide with water in the atmosphere, leading to the formation of nitric and sulphuric acids.

In turn, acid rain reacts with the limestone in buildings and monuments and damages them.

To simulate acid rain, we used an acid that we can easily find in our kitchens: the acetic acid found in vinegar. To simulate the limestone of the monuments, we used chalk that contains the same substance: calcium carbonate.

It is very important to note that the effects of acid rain are not immediate, as in this experiment in which effects can be seen in an hour. It is very important to emphasise that scientists use models like this to study phenomena in nature.

Easier

• Students that need more hands-on activities can be in charge of carrying out the experiment that their classmates have planned, can be in charge of finding the material and setting up the experiment.
• Students can create and illustrate a story that addresses a child's concerns about the effects of acid rain.

More challenging

• Assign research tasks on the effects of acid rain. Students can prepare a presentation for the class using multimedia resources.
• Assign research tasks on historical artefacts damaged by acid rain.
• Challenge students to find creative solutions to prevent historical monuments and buildings from being damaged by acid rain.
• Ask them to plan an experiment in which they study the effect of acid rain on metals. This experiment could be an extra activity to model the effect of acid rain on bridges.
• We can expand the experiment and take measurements over time. Students can measure the mass of the chalk in one-hour intervals. They can then organise the results in tables and then construct a graph.

By exploring this experimental activity, children not only discover the impacts of climate change, but can also be inspired to consider future careers in environmental protection. This could be a good opportunity to spark interest in professions that seek to understand and find solutions to climate change, such as a civil engineer, environmental scientist and environmental laboratory technician.
 

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What responsibilities do they have?
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What does a day in the life of an environmental scientist look like?
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What responsibilities do they have?
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