Acid Rain

grow at all? Or did they grow some, but less than

those in neutral water? Was the cutting of one
Troubleshooters’ Guide
plant more tolerant of acid water than the cut-
Below are some problems that may arise during ting of the other plant? Did both cuttings in
this experiment, some possible causes, and neutral water grow as you expected? Write a
ways to remedy the problems. paragraph summarizing your findings and
Problem: None of the cuttings grew. explaining whether they supported your
Possible causes: hypothesis.
1. The cuttings were infected with insects,
fungus, or something else. Try the Change the Variables Here are some ways you
experiment again with fresh cuttings can vary this experiment:
from different plants. Use different jars or
• Use different kinds of plants.
wash the old jars well.
2. The cuttings were from old, woody sec- • Water potted plants with acid and neutral
tions of the plant. Try cuttings from the water and compare their leaf and stem
growing tips of the plants. growth and appearance, general health,
3. The cuttings did not receive enough sun and frequency of blooming, if applicable,
or became too cold or too hot. Perhaps over time.
their stems did not remain in the water.
• Use water with different pH levels,
Try again, placing the cups in a warm
(not hot) place where they will receive
such as 5.0, 4.0, and 3.0 to determine
several hours of sun every day. Check to if growth decreases with each increase
make sure the stems remain underwater. in acidity.
Problem: All of the cuttings grew about the
same amount. EXPERIMENT 3
Possible causes:
Acid Rain: Can acid rain
1. The pH of the water in the acid jars might harm structures?
not have remained at 4.0. Try the
experiment again, carefully checking the Purpose/Hypothesis In this experiment, you
pH levels during the observation period. will observe how acid rain can harm buildings,
2. Perhaps both kinds of plants are tolerant statues, and other structures. The acid you will
of acid water. That would mean your be using is vinegar, which is about 5% acid.
hypothesis is incorrect for these kinds of Vinegar is slightly more acidic than acid rain,
plants.
but acid rain works its reaction over a period of
years and this experiment will only take about a
week. You will test vinegar’s effect on two differ-
ent forms of structural materials: marble and
limestone. For the limestone, you will use chalk, which is a type of
limestone. You can determine if some of the materials dissolve by noting
the weight and appearance. By weighing the materials both before and

12 Experiment Central, 2nd edition

 Acid Rain

after they are exposed to vinegar, you can meas-

ure the effect of acid on structures. What Are the Variables?
Before you begin, make an educated guess
about the outcome of this experiment based Variables are anything that might affect the
on your knowledge of acid rain. This educated results of an experiment. Here are the main
guess, or prediction, is your hypothesis. A variables in this experiment:
hypothesis should explain these things: • the temperature of the solution
• the topic of the experiment • the room temperature
• the variable you will change • the size of the materials
• the variable you will measure • the shape of the materials
• what you expect to happen
In other words, the variables in this experiment
A hypothesis should be brief, specific, and are everything that might affect the rate at
measurable. It must be something you can test which the materials dissolve. If you change
through further investigation. Your experiment more than one variable at the same time, you
will prove or disprove whether your hypothesis is will not be able to tell which variable had the
most effect on the chalk and marble.
correct. Here is one possible hypothesis for this
experiment: ‘‘Acid will wear away some of the
materials, causing the substances to weigh less
after they are immersed in acid.’’
In this case, the variable you will change is the acidity. The variable
you will measure is the appearance and weight of the material.
Conducting a control experiment for each material will help you
isolate the variable and measure the changes in the dependent variable.
Only one variable will change between the control and your experiment.
In this experiment, you will have two controls: one for the marble and one
for the limestone (chalk). For the controls, you will use distilled water.

Level of Difficulty Moderate.

Materials Needed
• crushed marbles (the size of small pebbles), available from a craft
or home garden store
• white chalk
• gram scale
• wax paper
• 4 small jars with lids
• distilled water
• white vinegar
• spoons

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Acid Rain

Approximate Budget $8 (assuming gram scale is

a household item).
How to Experiment Safely
Timetable 20 minutes setup; about ten minutes
Make sure the experiment is well labeled and
stored somewhere safe. Wash your hands after
daily for five to 10 days.
setting up and finishing the experiment.
Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Label each of the jars: ‘‘Marble,’’ ‘‘Marble

Control,’’ ‘‘Limestone,’’ and ‘‘Limestone Control.’’
2. Make a chart listing the materials, starting weight, ending weight,
and appearance. (See chart).
3. Place a sheet of wax paper on the gram scale and weight out 2
grams of the crushed marble. (You can use less but make sure to
note the exact weight in your chart.) Carefully pour into the jar
labeled ‘‘Marble.’’
4. Weigh another 2 grams of the marble and pour into the Control jar.
5. Break the chalk into roughly 1-inch (2.5 centimeters) pieces.
6. Using a fresh piece of wax paper, weigh 2 grams of the chalk and
place in the jar labeled ‘‘Limestone.’’ Weigh out another 2 grams
and place in the Control jar.
7. In both control jars, cover the chalk and marble with distilled water.
8. In both experimental jars, cover the chalk and marble with
vinegar.
9. After four days, note the appearance of the materials and solutions
in your chart. Does the chalk look smaller? Does the vinegar
appear cloudy?
Step 2: The recording chart for 10. After a minimum of a week, when it looks like the acid has affected
Experiment 3. I LLU STR AT IO N the material, carefully scoop out the marble and chalk onto
BY T EM AH NE LS ON.
separate sheets of wax paper. You may
need to rinse them off. Scoop out the
control marble and chalk too. Make
Starting Ending sure to keep track of the test and control
Weight Weight Appearance materials! You can either label the wax
Marble
papers or keep the material next to the
Marble
control labeled jar.
Limestone 11. Let the marble and chalk pieces dry
Limestone overnight.
control
12. When completely dry, weigh each of the
materials and note the results.

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 Acid Rain

Summary of Results Examine your results and

note the appearance of each of the materials.
Calculate the difference between the starting
and ending weights. Compare the chalk and
marble to the controls. How did the acid from
the vinegar affect the materials? Was your
hypothesis correct?

Change the Variables There are several ways you

can alter the variables in this experiment. You
can try different materials, such as metals. Dolo-
mite is a rock that is similar to limestone. You
can also vary the strength of the acid. For a Marble control
weaker acid, more similar to acid rain, add
water to the vinegar. For a stronger acid, you
can carefully boil away some of the vinegar’s
water, leaving more of the acid.

Design Your Own Experiment Step 3: Carefully pour into the

jar labeled ‘‘Marble.&rdquo
How to Select a Topic Relating to this Concept You can explore many ILL US TRA TI ON B Y TE MA H
other aspects of acid rain. Consider what puzzles you about this topic. For NEL SO N.

example, what would happen if you added vinegar or another acid to a jar
of water with limestone (calcium carbonate) gravel in the bottom? Lime is
a base that can neutralize acid, so would the pH level of the water still
drop with the limestone in there? Step 7: The controlled jars are
filled with distilled water. The
How does ground lime affect plants that have been damaged by acid
experimental jars are filled
rain? Will they begin growing well again if lime neutralizes the soil? What with vinegar. I LL UST RA TI ON
if lime is applied first and then the plants are watered with acid rain? Will BY T EMA H NE LS ON.
the lime protect them? How does acid rain affect
the germination of seeds? Which plants are more
tolerant of acid rain than others?
Check the Further Readings section and talk
with your science teacher or school or commun- Limestone
Marble

ity media specialist to start gathering informa-

Marble control
tion on acid rain questions that interest you. Limestone
control

Steps in the Scientific Method To do an original

experiment, you need to plan carefully and think

Experiment Central, 2nd edition 15

Acid Rain

things through. Otherwise, you might not be

sure what question you are answering, what you
Troubleshooter’s Guide
are or should be measuring, or what your find-
Below is a problem that may arise during this ings prove or disprove.
experiment, a possible cause, and a way to Here are the steps in designing an
remedy the problem. experiment:
Problem: The marble weighed the same, even • State the purpose of—and the underlying
after ten days.
question behind—the experiment you
Possible cause: Marble is a much harder mate- propose to do.
rial than chalk. The pieces may have been too
large to dissolve. Try again with marble pieces • Recognize the variables involved, and
that are more finely crushed. select one that will help you answer the
Problem: There was no notable difference in the question at hand.
weight of the chalk, even though it appears
• State a testable hypothesis, an educated
smaller.
guess about the answer to your question.
Possible cause: The chalk may still contain
some of the liquid it absorbed, which would • Decide how to change the variable you
add weight. Set the chalk aside in a warm selected.
area for another day, then weigh again.
• Decide how to measure your results.

Recording Data and Summarizing the Results In

the two acid rain experiments, your raw data
might include not only charts of brine shrimp survival rates and root
growth, but also drawings or photographs of these changes.
If you display your experiment, limit the amount of information you
offer, so viewers will not be overwhelmed by detail. Make clear your
beginning question, the variable you changed, the variable you measured,
the results, and your conclusions. Viewers—and judges at science fairs—
will want to see how your experiment was set up. You might include
photographs or drawings of the steps of the experiment. Viewers will
want to know what materials you used, how long each step took, and
other basic information.

Related Projects You can undertake a variety of projects related to

acid rain. For example, you might explore how acid rain affects
buildings, statues, and other outdoor structures. Which kinds of
stone are most susceptible to damage from acid rain? How do people
fare in regions with highly acidic rain? Do they have more respiratory
problems?

16 Experiment Central, 2nd edition

 Acid Rain

For More Information

Edmonds, Alex. A Closer Look at Acid Rain.
Brookfield, CT: Copper Beech Books, 1997.
Examines the causes of acid rain; its effects on
plants, lakes, and human health; and ways to
tackle the problem.
Gutnik, Martin. Experiments That Explore Acid Rain.
Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1992. Outlines
projects and experiments dealing with acid rain.
Parks, Peggy J. Acid Rain. Detroit, MI: KidHaven
Press, 2006. Explanation and effects of acid rain.
Rainis, Kenneth. Environmental Science Projects for
Young Scientists. New York: Franklin Watts, 1994.
Outlines detailed projects easily completed by
middle school students.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ‘‘Acid
Rain.’’ http://www.epa.gov/acidrain (accessed on
January 17, 2008).

The sulphur in acid rain reacts

with the limestone in statues,
forming a powder that easily
washes away. PHO TO
RES EA RC HER S I NC.

Experiment Central, 2nd edition 17