Anna Swenson

Mrs. Norris
AP Environmental Science
1 December 2014
Acid Rain Lab
Over the years, acid rain has become more prevalent throughout many areas in the world.
The normal pH of water is between 5.5 and 6. In comparison, acid rains pH is less than 4. Acid
rain can be attributed mostly from the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil. When we burn
fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are given off. When they go up into the
atmosphere and clouds are forming with these chemicals, then when precipitation occurs it can
wreak havoc on areas where it accumulates. Acid rain causes plant damage, lowering pH in
surface water and soils, and minerals leeching out of soils. Acid rain can also cause aesthetic
damage to buildings, and statues.
This lab is focused on testing how acid rain effects fescue plants. If three solutions of a
neutral pH, and acidic pH, and a basic pH are applied over a two week period, once a week, then,
the fescue plant with the neutral pH would grow the most and the one applied with acid rain
would die. The control group of this experiment is the fescue applied with distilled water. The
experimental group is the grass with varying percentages of vinegar and ammonia. The
independent variable is the percent of concentration of water and vinegar. The dependent
variable is whether or not the grass grows, dies, or remains the same. The controlled variables
are the amount of sunlight, position of bottles, time of watering, and time of data collection.

To perform this experiment one will need three liter bottles of already grown grass,
water, white vinegar and sunlight. The experiment requires 3 different pH solutions for each
bottle of grass. The first pH should be plain distilled water with a neutral pH, the second pH
should be a combination of vinegar and water to get a pH of about 4 and the last pH should be of
choice or basic. Starting on a Monday, the solutions should be mixed and 10 mL should be
poured on the top. The group performing the lab should ensure they take initial observation.
Then after another week, the same amount of solution should be poured into the same bottle is
was originally poured into. Pictures and observations should be taken again. Lastly after one
more week the final observations should be taken. If done correctly, the solutions that are basic
and acidic should have severed damage and the neutral pH of the distilled water should have
maintained the grass.
Data and Observations

pH 8

Week 1 (1st
application)
Healthy green grass

pH 7
pH 2.4

Healthy green grass

Healthy green grass

Solutions

Week 2 (2nd
application)
Parts becoming
brown and dying
Still fairly healthy
Very brown

Week 3 (No
application)
Completely dead
Still partially alive
Brown and a lot
shorter

This data showed the results that were desired because the grass applied with the acid
solution died off first followed by the basic pH and then the neutral pH last. After applying the
solution for two weeks, the grass suffered severely from the acidic solution. This shows the real
life effect that acid rain has on agriculture and ecosystems. The basic solution also had a very
negative affect on the grass sample. The neutral solution did die but not as severely I can
attribute this to the lack of waters possibly. Ten mL is not enough water for plants to survive but

it was the amount that was available. This could be improved by doing it multiple times and
adding the amount of water applied to each sample. This would give more dramatic results and
would be more accurate to distinguish time frames. By researching the EPAs acid rain program,
they have done wonders to decrease the emissions that cause acid rain in the United States.
Unfortunately, not all places have organizations like this to monitor and solve the issues that are
causing acid rain. Further steps should be taken to reduce the frequency of acid rain.

Works Cited
"Trends of Acid Rain." US EPA. EPA, n.d. Web.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epa.gov%2Fregion1%2Feco%2Facidrain%2Ftrends.html>.