Assignment
52 Acid
Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head
Answer the following questions to the best of
your ability in complete sentences.
1. Read AAAS’ Science Now article "Is Acid Rain a Thing of the Past?” by Marissa Weiss.
Is acid rain a thing of the past? Support your answer.
2. A coal-fired power plant produces 10 million
kWh of electricity each day. An input of 10,000 BTUs of heat is required to
produce one kWh of electricity.
a. Determine the number of pounds of coal
consumed by the power plant each day, assuming that one pound of coal yields
5,000 BTUs of heat. Show your work.
b. Determine the amount of sulfur dioxides (SO2)
and nitrogen oxides (NOx) released by the power plant each day. The
average emission rates for coal combustion are 10 lbs/MWh of sulfur dioxide, and 5 lbs/MWh
of nitrogen oxides. 1 megawatt (MWh) is equal to 1,000 kWh.
3. Coal from western states such as Montana and
Wyoming is known to have a lower percentage of sulfur impurities than coal
found in the eastern United States. How would burning low-sulfur coal lower the
level of acidity in rainfall? Use specific information about gases and acids to
answer the question.
4. Describe another method by which a coal-burning power plant can
reduce sulfur emissions leading to a reduction in acid precipitation.
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