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= = __ What is Acid Rain ?__ = = Rain is very important to sustain life. All living things need water to survive, including humans. Without rain we wouldn't have the water we need to survive. For many places in the world, the air has become polluted with gases from factories, cars and homes, and the rain is becoming dangerous for the life of every living thing. This polluted rain is called "acid rain". Acid gases are produced when fossil fuels are burned in power stations and factories and even in our own homes. Most of these acid gases are blown into the sky and over other countries. When they mix with the clouds it causes precipitations to become more acidic. Natural sources such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man made sources which have sulfur and nitrogen oxides also cause acid rain. It occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react in the atmosphere with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form various acidic compounds. When sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released from power plants and other sources, prevailing winds blow these compounds across state and national borders, sometimes over hundreds of kilometers.

Acid rain is a type of acid deposition, which can appear in many forms.

For a quick overview of what acid rain is and many other topics relating to acid rain, take a look at the following Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EEYGrtvRMo 