Projects to work on — Acid rain:

It isn't raining as much as it should; but it still pours. We think it'll be quite exciting for you to test if the rains in your area are a...

It isn’t raining as much as it should; but it still pours. We think it’ll be quite exciting for you to test if the rains in your area are acidic or otherwise. You don’t need to be a scientist or have one to do it for you every time. We have here a very simple do-it-yourself way of testing rain water and enlightening your neighbourhood about it. It isn’t difficult at all. So, get going.

Poisonous gases are constantly released into the air from factories, power stations and vehicle exhausts. When some of these gases mix with water they make it acidic.

What happens is that when these gases get mixed with rain clouds, the moisture dissolves them and acid rain is formed.

Acid rain is killing forests, poisoning lakes, harming wildlife and affecting people’s health. Each one of us can help to stop it, with little things like reducing the use of electricity, specially that which is generated from the thermal power stations which use coal or oil, as demand for electricity is the main cause of acid rain. So, turn off lights when not required, do not use cars as far as possible and recycle things. Want to know whether the rains in your area are acidic? You can first learn how to make litmus paper, which scientists use to test whether substances are acidic or not.

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Then you can try making your own acid water to test. For the above experiment, you need: 1 beetroot, vinegar, bowl, jug, sieve, scissor, 3 plastic or glass jars (jam jars), labels, blotting paper, knife, saucer and pen.

Step 1:

How to make a litmus paper ?

Chop up the beetroot and put it in a bowl. Pour hot water over it and leave it to soak until the water turns purple. Hold the sieve over a jug. Pour the beetroot water into the jug through the sieve, so that the beetroot stays in the sieve. Cut some small strips of blotting paper. Dip them into beetroot water, then lay them on a saucer for few minutes to dry. Your litmus paper is ready! The dried paper strips are the litmus paper. Use it for the acid test.

Step 2:

How to carry out the acid test?

Pour water into one jar and label it as "Plain Water". Take a second jar, pour a mixture of three quarters water and one quarter vinegar (a weak acid) and label it as "Slight Acid". Similarly take third jar, pour a mixture of half water and half vinegar and label it as " Stronger Acid". Now dip a strip of litmus paper into each jar. See what happens to the litmus paper? When you dip the litmus paper into plain water (first jar), it just darkens slightly because it is wet. But when dipped into the water with vinegar in it (second and third jar), the litmus paper turns pink, regardless of how much vinegar is in the water.

This test shows that when you dip litmus paper into an acidic liquid, like the mixtures of vinegar and water, it turns pink. Try testing other liquids with litmus paper, to see which ones are acid. And the next time it rains, run down with a container, collect rain water in it and test it. If the litmus paper turns pink, it is acidic and if not, it is not acidic.Write to Bratline and to BNHS if the rain water in your area is found to be acidic.

BE AN EXPERT:

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In our first issue we explained the meaning of endangered animals. Here’s a list of some animals which are considered to be endangered: tiger, blue whale, red panda, starbacked tortoise, king cobra, Indian rock python, crocodile, gharial, hornbill, Siberian crane, hill myna, wild ass, one-horned rhino are some of the endangered animals found in India. It’ll be a great idea to write an essay on one of the endangered animals, will it not? Then choose any one animal from the above mentioned names. Find out as much information as you can about the animal like: its habitat, why it is under threat, how many of them are left and if there are any laws or different ways of protecting them. Books, teachers and your family members can certainly help you in getting the information or else come to our BNHS library. We hope next time when your teacher asks you to write an essay of your own choice, you will be ready with your fascinating information about your endangered animal. Add a drawing or photograph of the animal and show it to your friends. If any of your friends is equally inspired by your information,then the two of you can choose two different animals and start collecting the information. Then probably you two can make a nice, researched contribution to your school newspaper, book or just simply display the study on the notice board (with the permission of your teachers, ofcourse) for other children to read.

Exciting stuff, you think? Well we think so too.So, get started right now.