Question

A weather system moving through the American Midwest produced rain with an average pH of 5.02. By the time the system reached New England, the rain it produced had an average pH of 4.66. How much more acidic was the rain falling in New England?

Answer 1

Answer:

The rain falling in New England is 2.29 times more acidic than the one in the American Midwest.

Explanation:

The acidity of a solution depends on the concentration of H⁺ ions ([H⁺]). We can calculate this concentration from the pH using the following expression.

pH = -log ([H⁺])

American Midwest

pH = -log ([H⁺])

5.02 = -log ([H⁺])

[H⁺] = antilog (-5.02) = 9.55 × 10⁻⁶ M

New England

pH = -log ([H⁺])

4.66 = -log ([H⁺])

[H⁺] = antilog (-4.66) = 2.19 × 10⁻⁵ M

The ratio of concentrations is:

$\frac{2.19 \times 10^{-5} M }{9.55 \times 10^{-6} M} =2.29$

The rain falling in New England is 2.29 times more acidic than the one in the American Midwest.