What is NOT true about acid rain?

What is NOT true about acid rain?

• A. It raises the pH of rain water
• B. It lowers the pH of rain water
• C. It lowers pH of lakes and soils
• D. It can corrode metals and stone surfaces

Answer: (A)

Acid rain makes things more acidic, not more basic. Pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides form sulfuric and nitric acids in the atmosphere, so when rain falls it has a lower pH than normal. That means the claim that rain water pH rises is incorrect. In addition, the acids in rain lower the pH of lakes and soils where the deposition occurs, altering ecosystems and nutrient availability. The acids can also react with metals and minerals in stone surfaces, leading to corrosion and weathering. So the statement about raising pH is the one that isn’t true, while the other effects described are real.

Acid rain makes things more acidic, not more basic. Pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides form sulfuric and nitric acids in the atmosphere, so when rain falls it has a lower pH than normal. That means the claim that rain water pH rises is incorrect. In addition, the acids in rain lower the pH of lakes and soils where the deposition occurs, altering ecosystems and nutrient availability. The acids can also react with metals and minerals in stone surfaces, leading to corrosion and weathering. So the statement about raising pH is the one that isn’t true, while the other effects described are real.