Many of us have read about Acid Rain. But did you know that it only takes a simple experiment to find out if the raindrops falling on your head are acidic or not? This is what you do:
1) Collect rainwater in a clean and dry cup when it rains around your home.
2) Check how acidic is the water. This can be done by inserting a pH paper (ask your science teacher at school or check with mustard seeds library) in the water. If the paper turns red, the water is acidic. Alternately, add a little baking soda to the water and observe carefully. If you observe bubbles, then the water is acidic.
3) In a note book write down the date and beside it write if the water was acidic.
4) Continue steps 1 through 3 for a full year.
5) Ask a couple of friends in your city who live far from you to also do the same (steps 1 through 4).
6) Compile your year long data and compare with what your friends have observed.
If the rainwater was not acidic, you are lucky. If it was, contact your science teacher or mustard seeds library for a final compilation of your data under the supervision of an adult. Now you have a science report to write, and publish, perhaps in the local newspaper. But before that don't forget to do your home work. What causes acid rain? More importantly, what caused it in your city? I can give you some hints: gases like oxides of sulphur and nitrogen turn into sulphuric and nitric acid when in contact with water.
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