We’ve all heard of acid rain and its impact on the environment, the infrastructure, like roads and buildings, and on humans. If
basic rain was a commonly occurring form of precipitation, what impact do you think it would have on the environment, the infrastructure, and on humans? Would it be more detrimental than or not as detrimental as acid rain? Explain your reasoning.
It would be more beneficial than acid rain because it is non-corrosive. Its pH is neutral. It would help to dilute acid and alkaline materials and would wash away impurities. Animals, including humans, can drink pure water, but acid rain is harmful. Plants and the soil can accept pure water which aid in supplying plants with water they can absorb directly, and water can dissolve certain nutrients that can then be more readily absorbed by plants, vegetation and microbes living in the soil. Pure water can be stored (reservoir) without the need for filtering or purifying, so reducing costs in providing drinking water. Pure water is part of the natural cycle. It evaporates leaving no deposit.
Quantitative experiments show that 4.18 Joules of heat energy are required to raise the temperature of 1g of water by 1°C. Thus, a liter (1000g) of water that increased from 24 to 25°C has absorbed 4.18 J/g°C x 1000g x 1°C or 4180 Joules of energy.
