a) What is meant by acid rain? (1)
b) Explain the chemistry behind the formation of acid rain. (1)
c) What are the harmful effects of acid rain? (1)

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> [!TLDR]
> Acid rain (pH < ~5.6) is caused by SO2/NOx pollutants oxidising in the atmosphere to sulfuric/nitric acid, and it damages monuments, ecosystems, crops, and infrastructure.
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> **a) What is meant by acid rain?**
>
> Normal rainwater is naturally slightly acidic (pH ≈ 5.6) because atmospheric CO2 dissolves in it to form weak carbonic acid. **Acid rain** refers to rain (or other precipitation such as snow, fog, or dew) whose pH has dropped **significantly below this natural value (typically below ~5.6, often around pH 4–4.5 or lower in badly polluted regions)** due to the presence of stronger acids formed from air pollutants — chiefly sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and nitric acid (HNO3).
>
> **b) Chemistry behind the formation of acid rain:**
> …

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