Year 10 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 5

Acids, Bases and the Environment

Foundation Worksheet

Name

Date

Class

Learning Goals

Describe the causes and effects of acid rain, ocean acidification, and soil acidification
Classify environmental examples into their correct acidification category
Explain how acids damage natural and built environments

Warm Up

Sort it!

Write each item from the pool into the correct category box. Each item belongs to one category only.

Lakes in Sweden become too acidic for fish to survive Coral skeletons on the Great Barrier Reef becoming thinner as carbonate ions decrease WA wheat belt soils become too acidic for crops Limestone statues of Sydney's heritage buildings dissolve and crumble Oyster spat cannot form shells in southern NSW Nitrogen fertilisers release H⁺ ions into eastern Australian soils Pteropod sea snails in Antarctica develop thin, dissolving shells SO₂ from coal-fired power stations reacts with rainwater Forests in central Europe show needle browning and die-back Organic acids from decomposing leaf litter lower pH in forest soils

Acid Rain Effects

Ocean Acidification Effects

Soil Acidification Effects

Your Turn

Fill the gap

Choose the correct word from the word bank to complete each sentence about environmental acidification.

SO₂ CO₂ carbonic acid sulfuric acid pH 4 limestone calcium carbonate catalytic converters lime fossil fuels

Acid rain forms when and NO₂ gases, released by burning , dissolve in water vapour to form and nitric acid. Normal rain has a pH of about 5.6, while acid rain can reach as low as .

Acid rain damages buildings made of , which contains . This mineral reacts with the acid and dissolves. To reduce acid rain damage to acidified lakes, Sweden added a base that neutralises the acid.

Ocean acidification is caused by dissolving in seawater, forming . One technology that reduces vehicle emissions contributing to acid rain is .

Show What You Know

1. Explain how acid rain is formed from the burning of coal. Include the names of the gases released and the acids they form in your answer.

Recall 2 marks

2. The Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of Queensland. Explain one way that rising atmospheric CO₂ levels threaten the reef, including what chemical change occurs in the seawater.

Recall 2 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?