NEET BIOLOGY

ECOLOGY

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
Which of these is the MOST LIKELY contributor to “acid rain”?
A
cars that run on gasoline
B
ranches that raise cattle
C
erosion from desertification
D
power plants that burn coal
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The most likely contributor to acid rain is the power plants that burn coal. Explanation: The burning of coal releases oxides of nitrogen and sulphur into the atmosphere. They mix with the water droplets as rain descends down thereby forming sulphuric and nitric acid which are the two major reason of acid rain.

Detailed explanation-2: -Causes of acid rain The biggest sources are coal-burning power plants, factories, and automobiles. When humans burn fossil fuels, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) are released into the atmosphere.

Detailed explanation-3: -Burning coal puts different gases into the air. Some of these gases are called sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These gases mix with water droplets and oxygen (another gas) to make chemicals called sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

Detailed explanation-4: -While a small portion of the SO2 and NOX that cause acid rain is from natural sources such as volcanoes, most of it comes from the burning of fossil fuels. The major sources of SO2 and NOX in the atmosphere are: Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity.

Detailed explanation-5: -Unfortunately, power plants also produce large amounts of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide-the pollutants that cause acid rain-when they burn fossil fuels, especially coal, to produce energy.

There is 1 question to complete.