Question

collecting rain samples
rico and mila noticed something odd was happening after it rained. soil, rocks, and buildings were changing shape and color. sometimes rust would form on rocks.
they learned that normal rain is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide in the air forms a weak acid when it reacts with rain. this weak acid can dissolve rocks. in addition,
other sources, such as the burning of fossil fuels, produce acid rain. rico and mila decided to take the ph of four rain samples to see if the rain was causing the chan-
the data and organized it into a table. they found the rain samples were all below the ph of normal rain.
table 1: ph of rain samples
which rain sample is most likely to cause the greatest amount of weathering?
a) sample 1
b) sample 2
c) sample 3
d) sample 4

Explanation:

Weathering caused by acid rain is related to the acidity of the rain (lower pH means more acidic). The lower the pH value, the more acidic the rain, and the greater the potential for weathering. Among the samples, Sample 4 has a pH of 4.2, which is the lowest (most acidic) compared to 5.1 (Sample 1), 4.8 (Sample 2), and 5.5 (Sample 3). So Sample 4 is most likely to cause the greatest weathering.

Answer:

D) Sample 4