Acid rain

Acid rain

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about carrying out and recording the results of an investigation.
Acid rain can cause problems to many buildings. When acids react with some metals they form hydrogen gas, and a metal compound, such metals corrode. 
Acids react with carbonate compounds to form carbon dioxide gas, and rocks with carbonates in them will wear away or crumble.

 

Materials: 
Copper, aluminium, iron, steel, marble, concrete, brick, wood, galvanised iron, lead.
 
Method:
  • Place a small piece of each material on a spotting tile. 
  • Draw up a table in the space below to show your observations. 
  • Add 4 drops of dilute hydrochloric acid (the acid rain) to each material. 
  • Write your observations in your table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Write a conclusion about which materials would be affected by acid rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper and equipment.
 
Equipment:
Spotting tile; dilute hydrochloric acid; small pieces of copper, aluminium, iron, steel, marble, concrete, brick, wood, galvanised iron, lead.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Material World
Keywords: 
changes, acid rain, metals, non-metals, table construction, exploring, investigation
Description of task: 
For this practical task students follow a plan to determine the effects of a weak acid on different building materials. Students need to put their results into a table and write a conclusion.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Gather and interpret data
This resource provides opportunities to discuss how careful observations help support inferences.

Science capability: Gather and interpret data (TKI)

 
Science capabilities: 
Gather and interpret data
Answers/responses: 

Draws a table with clear headings. 
Records clear observations for all materials, e.g., fizzes/does not fizz.
Correct conclusion according to their results, e.g., concrete is the building material which would be most affected by acid rain.