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Monday, December 7, 2009

What happens in scientific terms in a reaction between acid rain and limestone?


What happens in scientific terms in a reaction between acid rain and limestone?

Limestone is mostly made up of the mineral calcium carbonate ( CaCO 3 ) this is not very soluble so the rocks don't dissolve very quickly. If you add an acid however you add Hydrogen Ions ( H+ ) which will react with the carbonate to form hydrogen carbonate HCO3- ions which are very soluble in water, and the limestone will dissolve. Or if there is more acid about the two Hydrogen ions will react with a carbonate to form H2CO3 which will decompose to form carbon dioxide CO2 and water H2O.

The acid can come from a variety of sources sulphur and nitrogen oxides released by burning fuels will form sulphuric and nitric acids, can carbon-dioxide can dissolve in water to form carbonic acid.

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