Max+and+Jeron

Hola Amigos Lab Project Proposal Team: Jeron and Max

__**The Effects of Acid Rain on Building Materials**__


 * Project Topic:** How are building materials effected by acid rain exposure over time.
 * Chemistry Concept:** Process of creating different strengths of acid rain as well as the chemistry of the effects the materials suffer from acid rain exposure.
 * Hypothesis:** The higher the acidity and concentration of the rain and the lower the density of the material being effected will cause the material will decompose quicker.


 * Journal Article References:**
 * =====Franzoni, E., & Sassoni, E. (2011). Correlation between microstructural characteristics and weight loss of natural stones exposed to simulated acid rain. //Science Of The Total Environment//, //412-413//278-285. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.09.080=====
 * =====Wolosz, T. ( 2002, July` 05). Effects of acid rain. Retrieved from [] (Wolosz, 2002) =====
 * =====Homes Services Engine. Acid rain's effect on your home. (2012, March 05). Retrieved from [] (Home services engine, 2012) =====
 * =====Alden, A. (n.d.). The geology of bricks. Retrieved from [] (Alden) =====
 * =====Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium. (n.d.). how is acid rain formed?. Retrieved from [] (Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium) =====
 * =====Wisegeek (2012). What is Polyurethane Sealant. Retrieved from []  (Wisegeek, 2012) =====


 * Procedure:**

1. Obtain the needed materials 2. Pour 1-Liter of water into a two-liter jug, pour a drop of sulfuric/nitric acid (intial Molarity of 12.5) into the bottle and shake the bottle to mix. 3. Repeat step 2 until the pH level of the water is at least 3, use pH paper to test the pH level of the water. 4. Pour this liter of “acid rain” into a water jug (or buret) with a spout on it. 5. Set up your building materials (marble, wood, brick) and place them in their bins underneath the spouts of their respective water jugs. 6. Tape down the nozzles half way to allow a constant drip of water to fall on the materials. 7. Check periodically for signs of decomposition.   Follow up: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> 1. Apply a polyurethane sealant to the wood and obtain a sample of pure marble <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"> 2. Repeat steps 1-7 of procedure without the brick


 * Apparatus'** **and chemicals needed:**
 * Sulfuric acid
 * water
 * water jug with spout
 * 2-liter bottle for mixing
 * sample of:
 * limestone
 * marble
 * brick
 * wood
 * Containers to hold building materials
 * PH paper

media type="file" key="wiki audacity.wav" width="312" height="26" align="left"

Diagram 1: Acid Rain Simulation


 * Safety Information:**

Note: Sulfuric acid is dangerous chemical, avoid contact with skin. When the acid rain mixture is finished it will also have a dangerous PH level so avoid contact with skin or eyes as well. Gloves and goggles should be worn at all times in this experiment.

Abstract:
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Acid rain threatens the environment, historic pieces of art, and homes worldwide, a problem which merits immediate research and action. To test the impact of acid rain a sulfuric acid solution with a pH of 3 was dripped on different building materials. Samples of wood, brick, and marble had this solution dripped upon them resulting in acid deterioration in all three samples. Most affected was the wood sample, the material used to build most houses in the United States. The sample of wood saw a 9.4% change in mass and the woods fibers were visibly softer and less sturdy than before acid exposure. This result proves acid rain to be very dangerous for the safety of households; after prolonged exposure to acid rain houses would be in jeopardy of crumbling if their supporting wood beams are softened and no longer can hold the weight of the home. By addressing pollution from fossil fuels, the problem of acid rain can also be addressed, because without any sulfuric and nitric acid being emitted into the air no acid rain will be able to form. In a follow up experiment to this lab, the wood sample was coated with a polyurethane sealant resulting in a decreased mass change to only 5.76% proving the effectiveness of this sealant. The marble tested in this follow up experiment had no sealant on it and saw no mass change whereas in the first lab there was a .14% mass change and the marble did have a sealant on it. A possible follow up lab could investigate why the pure marble of the follow up experiment saw no mass change and why very little was seen by the marble with a sealant on it in the first experiment. Research should also be done into sealants for bricks, currently none could be found easily.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The Effects of Acid Rain on Building Materials **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Key Words: Acid, Acid Rain, Cellulose, pH, and Pollution ||  ||   ||