Measuring Acid Rain

The pH (not PH) scale is used to measure the acidity or alkalinity of an aqueous solution and is determined by the hydrogen ion content (H⁺). This scale was invented by a Danish scientist called Sorenson in 1909. The pH scale ranges from 0, which is strongly acid, to 14 which is strongly alkaline, the scale point 7 being neutral. Examples of solutions with differing pH values include car battery acid (pH 1), lemon juice (pH 2), beer (pH 4), natural rain (pH 5-6), milk (pH 6), washing-up liquid (pH 7), seawater (pH 8), milk of magnesia (pH 10) and ammonia (pH 12),

The pH scale is logarithmic rather than linear, and so there is a ten fold increase in acidity with each pH unit, such that rainfall with pH 5 is ten times more acidic than pH 6, rainfall with pH 4 is 100 times more acidic than pH 6 and rainfall with pH 3 is 1000 times more acidic than pH 6.

Rainfall acidity is measured in pH units. Normal or unpolluted rainfall has a pH of 5.6. This is slightly acidic due to the presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which forms weak carbonic acid in water. It is not uncommon for acidified rainwater to have a pH of 4, about 30 times as acidic as normal rainwater.