Question

collecting rain samples
zoe and mia noticed weathering of rocks was happening after it rained. rock rocks, and buildings were changing shape and size. sometimes they would find an unusual odor. they
noticed 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 or statues. sometimes, other
other sources, such as the burning of fossil fuels, produce acid rain. zoe and mia decided to take the ph of four rain samples to see if the rain was causing the changes. they took
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
rain sample ph
1 5.1
2 4.8
3 5.5
4 4.2
which change could be made to reduce the amount of weathering caused by rain with a lower ph?
a build drains along the sidewalk
b reduce pollutants in the air
c clear the land of vegetation
d increase the number of volcanoes

Explanation:

Rain with lower pH is acidic (acid rain), formed when pollutants like sulfur dioxide/nitrogen oxides dissolve in water vapor. Reducing air pollutants (e.g., from factories, vehicles) decreases acidic gas emissions, lowering acid rain formation and its weathering effect. Option A (add alkaline) is less practical at a large scale. Option C (remove vegetation) would likely increase erosion, not reduce weathering. Option D (increase roadways) increases pollution sources. So reducing air pollutants is the best solution.

Answer:

B. reduce pollutants in the air