If we water 3 arugula plants and 3 green onions with different acid rain simulating solutions, then the most acidic solution will slow the plant growth the most because acid rain makes soil poor and less nutritious affecting optimum plant growth.

A tremendous problem that has been extremely prominent in the past few years is acid rain. Even though the pH of acid rain hasn't reached the pH of 2.1 as the scientists recorded in the 1970s and 1980s, it is still horrible for the environment (Willyard, 2010). Acid rain can also be known as acidic deposition and comes in many forms of precipitation including acidic components like snow, rain, hail, fog, sleet etcetera (EPA, 2023). Sulfuric and/or nitric acid are the two main components that make precipitation acidic as it also mixes with other things that are biotic or abiotic before reaching the ground (EPA, 2023). Our experiment is testing different acidities of water (the average acidity of acid rain is 4pH and the worst it has gotten is 2pH) on 2 different types of vegetables. Doing this will help us realize how it affects them individually and then use our data to see how it would help on a real-world scale. If we water 3 arugula plants and 3 green onions with different acid rain simulating solutions, then the most acidic solution will slow the plant growth the most because acid rain makes the soil poor and less nutritious affecting optimum plant growth.

Acid Rain can have different effects on different plants, but one main effect is slowing plant growth. One of the things acid rain affects the most is the soil. When acidic rain falls on the soil it makes it poor and less nutritious for plants (Amthor, 1984). Acid Rain acidifies the soil and releases aluminum contents which are toxic in large amounts (EPA 2023 #2). Aluminum causes toxicity and damages roots in all kinds of vegetation (Northern Tool). And with damaged roots plants have a much harder time surviving. On top of that, acid rain also leaches nutrients and minerals from the soil that are crucial for growing plants. For this reason, there are many fallen/dead trees where acid rain has fallen. On plants with leaves acid rain takes nutrients away from those leaves and leaves a plant unable to perform photosynthesis (EPA 2023 #2). So, in conclusion, acid rain damages and slows the growth of plants.

Identifiable by the name, acid rain is when the rain becomes acidic or contains acid and gasses (Ruff, 2023). When the pH of our rain falls below 5.6, it is now considered acid rain and that is because, trapped inside the rain are the gasses that we have emitted into the environment (Ruff, 2023). The pH of things lets us know if they are acidic or basic/alkaline when placing them on the pH scale where 7.0 is neutral (EPA, 2023). Since 7.0 is neutral on the pH scale, anything lower than that is considered acidic and anything ranked higher is considered basic/alkaline (EPA, 2023). Rain is normally at a 5.6 because it's slightly acidic from the CO2 that dissolved into the rain which creates a weak carbonic acid (EPA, 2023). A way of measuring pH is using colour-changing litmus strips, when in liquid it will turn blue if alkaline and red if acidic (EPA, 2023 #3). Using a pH scale and identifying the pH of our rain helps us know if it is damaging to our vast environment.

As seen in the other paragraphs acid rain is very bad for the environment, but it can be limited a lot. Acid rain is caused by releasing sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere (NHDES, 2019). The main problem is when those chemicals react with other chemicals including water and oxygen. This reaction creates what we know as acid rain (NHDES, 2019). Chemicals like sulphur dioxide are pollutants that are mainly emitted by Electrical Facilities, mostly by those that burn coal. Other sources include petroleum refineries, cement manufacturing plants, and processing facilities (WDHS, 2022). By limiting coal burned, the amount of sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere is limited, which also means that there would be much less acid rain. We can limit the amount of coal burned by switching, at least a little bit of our power sources to renewable energy sources like wind and solar energy (WDHS, 2022). By doing this we can limit the downfall of acid rain and save many plants.

Alkaline water evens out acidic soil and balances pH levels. Alkaline water has a higher pH than normal tap/rainwater which can balance out the soil and help the plant grow. This promotes healthy growth and makes sure the plant gets the necessary nutrients that are available (phox, 2023). On the other hand, an alkaline fluid can remove certain nutrients from the soil such as iron and manganese (ehow, 2023). Those are some of the pros and cons of Alkaline water.

Even though acid rain has been around since about 1850, which is when Robert Angus Smith coined the name Acid Rain and wrote about the connection between acid rain and pollution, it took us a little more than a hundred years to start facing this problem (Arcadia, 2017). Acid rain only fell for the first time in America in the 50s and that's when they realized the horrific problems that can arise from acid rain doing extensive research the USA put out the “Clean Air Act” in 1970 and made it stronger in 1990 (Arcadia, 2017).  It started earlier in the Midwest than in America because of all the coal plants there but it spread. This is something that is hard to stop single-handedly because of the amount of the main gases emitted everywhere and a report in 2013 said that, at that time about 88% of our beloved Great Lakes were impaired by the rain (Arcadia, 2017). Just learning more about this makes it more intriguing to do our experiment on it as it will show us some of the major effects on a small scale. We're doing this experiment not just for the sake of an experiment but for sheer curiosity and interest in this problem. Hopefully, acid rain will be something we will see less and less of every year with us reducing emissions and cutting off the main pollutants.  An acid rain-free world for us all. 

Controlled Variables: Amount of soil, Amount of water, Pots, Spray bottles, Green Onions, Arugula

Independent Variable: The pH of the water (4pH, 7pH, 10pH)

Responding Variable: The height and mutations of the plants

Constant: The plant watered with distilled water (7pH)

Materials

• Safety Gloves                   
• Goggles                                        
• Measuring Cups                                   
• Permanent Marker                                 
• A Mixing Stick/Spoon                             
• A Ruler                                              
• Baking Soda                                     
• Scale                                                 
• Tape 
• 3 Green Onion Roots
• 3 Arugula seeds
• 6 Identical Sized Pots
• Sulphuric Acid Dropper
• 1.8L Distilled Water
• 300g x6 Soil
• 6 Spray Bottles
• pH Strips

 

Procedure

1. Put on your PPE (goggles and gloves)
2. Measure and fill each of the 6 pots with 300g of soil using a scale
3. In 3 of the pots use your finger to make a small hole to put 1 green onion root halfway  into the soil of each of the 3 pots
4. Tape a piece of masking tape on to each pot and with the permanent marker label the 3 pots  4.0 Acid Rain, 7.0 Distilled Water and 10.0 Distilled Water
5. In the other 3 pots dig small holes to put arugula seeds in each and cover them with soil
6. Repeat step 4 with the 3 remaining pots 
7. Measure out 300 ml of distilled water and pour it into all 6 of the spray bottles
8. In 2 spray bottles add one drop of sulphuric acid and stir it. Check the pH with a pH strip to see if it's at a 4.0. Keep adding one drop of sulphuric  acid and check the pH until  it's a 4.0 and label them 4.0 acid rain 
9. In 2 spray bottles add 1g of baking soda in each and stir it, check the pH with a pH strip until the pH is at a 10.0 and label them 10.0 distilled water
10. Make sure to  still have 2 spray bottles that are just plain distilled water which is a 7.0 and label them 7.0 distilled water
11. Spray each plant with the solution that is on its label, spray it 25 times
12. Water each arugula plant every 2 days and green onion plant every other day with the same solution as the label keeping it consistent with 25 sprays
13. Repeat step 12 for 2-3 weeks
14. Record observations of plants everyday, measuring the height of the plant with a ruler and noting the changes/mutations on each plant

DAY 1        *Photos are only taken on watering days    *Sorry about the images, it wouldn't let me crop them fully

 

Arugula:                                                         Green Onion:

4pH: 0cm, no growth                                 4pH: 1.3cm, greenish yellow in color

7pH: 0cm, no growth                                 7pH: 1.3cm, greenish yellow in color

10pH: 0cm, no growth                               10pH: 1.9cm, greenish yellow in color

DAY 2

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 0cm, no growth                                  4pH: 2.3cm, split into two shoots

7pH: 0cm, no growth                                  7pH: 2cm, split into two shoots

10pH: 0cm, no growth                                10pH: 1.9cm, split into two shoots

DAY 3

                                                                          

Arugula:                                                            Green Onion:

4pH: 0cm, no growth                                   4pH: 2.5cm, very dark green

7pH: 0cm, no growth                                   7pH: 3.5cm, light green

10pH: 0cm, no growth                                 10pH: 4cm, light green with its roots

                                                                         above the soil

DAY 4

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 0.8cm, 1 sprout, yellow hue                4pH: 5.4cm, both shoots same size

7pH: 1.4cm, 7 sprouts, all are                     7pH: 6.6cm, one shoot is slightly taller

roughly the same height                              10pH: 7cm, one tall shoot and one 

10pH: 1.5cm, 5 sprouts, very                       short shoot     

similar to 7pH

DAY 5

                                                                         

Arugula:                                                             Green Onion:

4pH: 2cm, 7 sprouts, shortest ones             4pH: 8cm, no other changes

are kinda yellowy orange                               7pH: 10.3cm, tall shoot is 2x as

7pH: 2.4cm, 9 sprouts, light green                 tall as the short shoot

in color, all are kinda tall                                 10pH: 11.6cm, no other changes 

10pH: 2.8cm, 9 sprouts, varies a

lot in height, tiniest yellow hue

DAY 6

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 3.3cm, 7 sprouts, outer leaf is            4pH: 11cm, very slanted compared

yellowish red, light green in center              to the other plants

7pH: 4cm, 9 sprouts, all are a                      7pH: 14cm, no other changes  

lightish green color                                       10pH: 17cm, no other changes

10pH: 4.1cm, 10 sprouts, some

sprouts are a lighter green

DAY 7

Arugula:                                                           Green Onion:

4pH: 4.5cm, 9 sprouts, newest                4pH: 14.1cm, no other changes

sprouts are yellow, very fragile                  7pH: 17.3cm, no other changes

and wobbly                                                 10pH: 20.2cm, no other changes 

7pH: 5.5cm, 9 sprouts, no

discoloration at all         

10pH: 4.8cm, 11 sprouts, new

sprout has a red dot 

DAY 8

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 5.2cm, 9 sprouts, all stems            4pH: 17.6cm, no other changes

are bent and wobbly                                 7pH: 23.1cm, no other changes

7pH: 5.8cm, 9 sprouts, no new                   10pH: 24.4cm, 3rd sprout grew

sprouts latley, still the tallest

10pH: 4.8cm, 11 sprouts, one

sprout is frail, its stems thinning

DAY 9

                                                                         

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 5.2cm, 9 sprouts, all have red,         4pH: 20.1cm, no other changes

brown, orange, yellow specks                   7pH: 24.6cm, 2nd shoot isn't

7pH: 6.5cm, 9 sprouts, only one                 really growing

sprout has a red speck                                10pH: 26.2cm, 2nd shoot

10pH: 4.9cm, 11 sprouts, new                        isn't growing at all

sprout grew, frail one died

DAY 10

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 5.2cm, 10 sprouts, stems tops         4pH: 23cm, a type of crust grew

are slightly yellow, bendy/wobbly               on the root

7pH: 6.5cm, 9 sprouts, all stand                7pH: 25.1cm, no other changes  

upright, no new sprouts                               10pH: 28cm, no other changes

10pH: 4.9cm, 11 sprouts, all have

white powder on leaves, yellow dots

DAY 11

                                                                           

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 5.3cm, 7 sprouts, 3 died, stems       4pH: 25.8cm, no other changes

came weak, leaves shriveled up               7pH: 26.7cm, 3rd shoot grew

7pH: 6.5cm, 9 sprouts, 2 sprouts                 10pH: 29cm, no other changes

have little red dots

10pH: 4.9cm, 11 sprouts, leaves

look shriveled, white powder

DAY 12

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 5.4cm, 7 sprouts, leaves are            4pH: 28cm, 3rd shoot grew

shriveled, reddish color on sprouts            7pH: 28.4cm, no other changes 

7pH: 6.6cm, 9 sprouts, 8th day of                10pH: 30.3cm, no other changes

no new sprouts, no new discoloration

10pH: 4.9cm, 11 sprouts, leaves

look bad, white powder, red dots

DAY 13

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 5.4cm, 7 sprouts, 1 sprout is            4pH: 30.5cm, very dark in color,

floppy, leaves are shrivieled                        tilting slightly

7pH: 6.6cm, 9 sprouts, leaves are              7pH: 30cm, shoots tips have 

spreading more apart on the stem               become a brownish color 

10pH: 4.9cm, 11 sprouts, 1 new sprout,       10pH: 29cm, tilting slightly

1 sprout died, red specks 

DAY 14

                                                                            

Arugula:                                                          Green Onion:

4pH: 5.5cm, 5 sprouts, 2 sprouts              4pH: 32.5cm, the shoots bent

died, stems got thin/eaten away                 7pH: 33cm, the shoots bent

7pH: 6.8cm, 10 sprouts, new                        10pH: 34cm, the shoots bent

sprout grew, slightly yellow leaves

10pH: 4.9cm, 11 sprouts, tiniest

sprout has discoloration

DAY 15

Arugula:     

4pH: 5.5cm, 5 sprouts, brown and 

red dots on shriveled leaves 

7pH: 6.9cm, 10 sprouts, tiniest sprout is

less yellow than other pH tiniest sprouts

10pH: 4.9cm, 11 sprouts, white powder on

leaves, some shriveled, discoloration                 

DAY 16

Arugula:     

4pH: 5.5cm, 5 sprouts, tallest sprout is

straightest, others are wobbly/bendy

7pH: 6.9cm, 10 sprouts, tallest 2 sprouts are

bending, new sprouts leaves haven't opened

10pH: 5cm, 11 sprouts, all leaves are uneven

or shriveled, has more discoloration                                           

DAY 17

Arugula:

4pH: 5.5cm, 5 sprouts, 3 sprouts are very

twisty turny, tiniest sprouts leaves shriveled    

7pH: 7cm, 10 sprouts, 2 sprouts are wobbly,

tiniest sprouts leaves are opening slowly

10pH: 5cm, 10 sprouts, 1 sprout died, had 

shriveled and uneven leaves

DAY 18

Arugula:

4pH: 5.5cm, 4 sprouts, 1 sprout died, it's

stem was thinning and weak

7pH: 7cm, 10 sprouts, leaves have no 

deformations, tiniest sprout has red dots

10pH: 5.3cm, 10 sprouts, deformed sprouts,

white powder on leaves, tilting sprouts

DAY 19

Arugula:

4pH: 5.5cm, 4 sprouts, tallest sprout is the

least shriveled, discolored and bendy

7pH: 7cm, 10 sprouts, tiniest sprout grows

slowly, tallest sprout is very bendy

10pH: 5.3cm, 9 sprouts, 1 sprout died, 

weak and wobbly stem

DAY 20

Arugula:

4pH: 5.5cm, 4 sprouts, all are bendy, 

shortest sprouts leaves are shrvieled

7pH: 7cm, 10 sprouts, more sprouts are 

bendy, tiniest sprouts leaves opened

10pH: 5.3cm, 8 sprouts, 1 sprout died,

had one big leaf and one small leaf

DAY 21

Arugula:

4pH: 5.5cm, 3 sprouts, tiniest sprout died,

discoloration, thinning stem, bendy

7pH: 7.5cm, 10 sprouts, tallest 5 sprouts are

bendy, light stems, medium dark leaves

10pH: 5.3cm, 5 sprouts, different sized leaves

and stems, discoloration, bendy

	(Nov 30) Day 1	(Dec 1) Day 2	(Dec 2) Day 3	(Dec 3) Day 4	(Dec 4) Day 5	(Dec 5) Day 6	(Dec 6) Day 7
Arugula	4pH: 0cm 7pH: 0cm 10pH: 0cm	4pH: 0cm 7pH: 0cm 10pH: 0cm	4pH: 0cm 7pH: 0cm 10pH: 0cm	4pH: 0.8cm 7pH: 1.4cm 10pH: 1.5cm	4pH: 2cm 7pH: 2.4cm 10pH: 2.8cm	4pH: 3.3cm 7pH: 4cm 10pH: 4.1cm	4pH: 4.5cm 7pH: 5.5cm 10pH: 4.8cm
Green Onion	4pH: 1.3cm 7pH: 1.3cm 10pH: 1.9cm	4pH: 2.3cm 7pH: 2cm 10pH: 1.9cm	4pH: 2.5cm 7pH: 3.5cm 10pH: 4cm	4pH: 5.4cm  7pH: 6.6cm 10pH: 7cm	4pH: 8cm 7pH: 10.3cm 10pH: 11.6cm	4pH: 11cm 7pH: 14cm 10pH: 17cm	4pH: 14.1cm 7pH: 17.3cm 10pH: 20.2cm

	(Dec 7) Day 8	(Dec 8) Day 9	(Dec 9) Day 10	(Dec 10) Day 11	(Dec 11) Day 12	(Dec 12) Day 13	(Dec 13) Day 14
Arugula	4pH: 5.2cm 7pH: 5.8cm 10pH: 4.8cm	4pH: 5.2cm 7pH: 6.5cm 10pH: 4.9cm	4pH: 5.2cm 7pH: 6.5cm 10pH: 4.9cm	4pH: 5.3cm 7pH: 6.5cm 10pH: 4.9cm	4pH: 5.4cm 7pH: 6.6cm 10pH: 4.9cm	4pH: 5.4cm 7pH: 6.6cm 10pH: 4.9cm	4pH: 5.5cm 7pH: 6.8cm 10pH: 4.9cm
Green Onion	4pH: 17.6cm 7pH: 23.1cm 10pH: 24.4cm	4pH: 20.1cm 7pH: 24.6cm 10pH: 26.2cm	4pH: 23cm 7pH: 25.1cm 10pH: 28cm	4pH: 25.8cm 7pH: 26.7cm  10pH: 29cm	4pH: 28cm 7pH: 28.4cm 10pH: 30.3cm	4pH: 30.5cm 7pH: 30cm 10pH: 31.9cm	4pH: 32.5cm 7pH: 33cm 10pH: 34cm

	(Dec 14) Day 15	(Dec 15) Day 16	(Dec 16) Day 17	(Dec 17) Day 18	(Dec 18) Day 19	(Dec 19) Day 20	(Dec 20) Day 21
Arugula	4pH: 5.5cm 7pH: 6.9cm 10pH: 4.9cm	4pH: 5.5cm 7pH: 6.9cm 10pH: 5cm	4pH: 5.5cm 7pH: 7cm 10pH: 5cm	4pH: 5.5cm 7pH: 7cm 10pH: 5.3cm	4pH: 5.5cm 7pH: 7cm 10pH: 5.3cm	4pH: 5.5cm 7pH: 7cm 10pH: 5.3cm	4pH: 5.5cm 7pH: 7.5cm 10pH: 5.3cm

After testing on two different plants with different pHs there is a variety of data that has been collected. Starting with the arugula plants, the 10pH plant grew the shortest at 5.3cm, then the 4pH plant grew at 5.5cm and finally the 7pH plant at 7.5cm. On the other hand, the green onions shortest plant was the 4pH at 32.5cm, then 7pH at 33cm and lastly 10pH at 34cm. There isn’t much difference in th green onions height other than more or less than 1cm. It’s similar to the 4pH and 10pH arugula plants but the 7pH was 2 cm taller than the 10pH. Still, it’s not a huge height difference but it’s the biggest difference we have. 

Other than the height of the plants the color, shape, stability, and amount of shoots/sprouts were also noted. The 4pH arugula plant only had 3 sprouts by the end of the experiment but once had 10 sprouts on the 10th day. The 4pH green onion plant had 3 shoots and grew its final shoot on the 12th day. The 7pH arugula plant ended the experiment with 10 sprouts and none died throughout the experiment. The 7pH green onion plant had 3 shoots and the 3rd shoot grew on the 11th day. The 10pH arugula plant had 5 sprouts on the last day and had the most sprouts at one point. It once had 11 sprouts but 6 died due to some mutations.

Among other things the colors of the plants or the amount of discoloration affected them. Like the 4pH arugula plant had yellow or orange hues on its sprouts, some more than others. They also had a series of different colored specks including red, brown, orange, and yellow. The 4pH green onion started off a yellowish green and became a darker shade of green by the end. It also started growing crust on its root. The 7pH arugula plant had light green sprouts that darkened slightly and only a couple sprouts had 1 or 2 red specks. The 7pH green onion plant started of a greenish yellow and became more green. The tips of its shoots started turning brown. The 10pH arugula plant had the same specks as the 4pH but also had white powder or some white discoloration. The 10pH green onion plant was a greenish yellow and became a light green. It was the lightest compared to the other pHs.

Finally, the stability and shape of the plants. The 4pH arugula plants became extremely fragile, wobbly and bendy. The many sprouts died due to stem thinning and shriveled leaves. The 4pH green onion plant was very slanted from the beginning and fully bent on the last day. The 7pH arugula plant were all roughly the same height and stood straight upright till the tallest 2 started to bend slowly. The 7pH green onion plant had one tall shoot that 2x as tall as its other shoot and fully bent on the final day. The 10pH arugula plant experienced stem thinning and shriveled leaves as well, they also started to tilt on the last couple of days. The 10pH green onion plant had one tall shoot and one that didn’t grow. It also bent on the last day like its fellow green onions.

 

In conclusion our hypothesis was correct about the green onions but incorrect about the arugula plants. 

Based on height, the 4pH green onion plant and the 10pH arugula plant grew the least. The green onion shoots had a difference of height of 1.5cm and they all looked almost identical. There was a small difference on the 4pH green onion plant, and that was that there was crust building up around the lower stem of the green onion. The arugula plants on the other hand had the 4pH & 10pH plant very close in height on Day 21, while the 7pH plant was 2cm taller than the other two. Though the shortest sprout on the last day was from the arugula plant with 10pH water, it was only shorter by 0.2cm and there were other factors that show 4pH water had a larger effect in slowing the plant growth. One example is how there were the least sprouts (3) and the arugula sprouts had thinning stems. Its is safe to say that the 7pH plants from both experiments were successful with similar, healthy results.

 

Real World Application

The real world application of this experiment is that it shows how plants would be affected by certain pHs of water. For example, the 4pH water was used to be an example of acid rain. This experiment showed the effects of acid rain on plants. On top of that, it also demonstrated how these 2 types of plants would react to 7pH (neutral water) and 10pH (basic water). This experiment has shown the effect of the pHs of water on plants and this could be beneficial in many ways. This experiment helps farmers and gardeners know that 7pH water would be the safest option to use to water plants. It also shows that even if there were to be a downpour of acid rain the plant's growth would be slowed & damaged but it would most likely not kill the plant. 

This experiment also demonstrated the signs of a plant grown in acidic soil/conditions. This helps gardeners and farmers in the agriculture industry understand which plants are acceptable to be sold to consumers. This can also help consumers understand what vegetables are clean and healthy or contaminated. Additionally, irrigation and watering sprinklers can have water sourced from acid rain that can also end up in the water systems. So if acidic water were to pour into a water source then you could see the signs on the plants to know there was acidic liquid. If acid rain gets in your water, it’s really hard to tell if it's there as it tastes like clean water. Finding acid rain in drinking water isn’t extremely common, but it is best to filter your water anyway to make sure it is truly clean. Filtering water can also take out heavy metals that aren’t good for consumption.

From this experiment, scientists can try to breed plants to make them adaptable to the acidic environment that their in. This could help world hunger with less produce being spoiled while also helping the economy and farmers. Some places that are prone to acid rain are Northeast USA, Taiwan, China, Southeastern Canada, and parts of Eastern Europe. These countries are vulnerable to acid rain mostly due to the fact that there are so many industrial plants and the pollutants that they produce. So by creating protection for these plants, we can start solving big issues and start helping people and their lives. 

 

Next Steps

From this experiment, we now know some of the effects of acid rain on certain plants. To expand on this, we could experiment with other types of plants like roots or berries, and see the effects on them. We could even dive deeper into the effects on the soil, and how the main nutrients in soil like nitrogen(N), phosphorus(P), and potassium(K) are affected. To take this a step further, we could see how plants in different environments react differently towards acid rain. 

Some questions for later experiments:

• How does acid rain affect the soil/nutrients in the soil?
• Does the environment a plant is in affect its reaction to acid rain?
• Which plants are affected the most by acid rain? Berries, roots, flowers, herbs, etc?
• What are the effects of acid rain on different ecosystems?

Some things that could have or did impact the experiment were:

• The days the plants were watered (Arugula every 2 days and Green Onion every other day)
• Not enough natural sunlight since it was the winter, they were grown inside and, not enough windows nearby
• Temperature inside the house could have affected the plants growth rate and the mutations on each plant
• Temperature inside the house could have affected the pH of the solutions like if the temperature in a liquid increase the pH will decrease and vice versa (Shouldn’t have affected it that much as there would have to a be big change of temperature)

• Willyard (2010) https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/acid-rain-and-our-ecosystem-20824120/#:~:text=During%20the%201970s%20and%201980s,roughly%201%2C000%20times%20more%20acidic.&text=Acid%20rain%20affected%20many%20parts,suffered%20the%20most%20ecological%20damage.
• Ruff (2023) https://www.wikihow.com/Simulate-Acid-Rain#:~:text=Fill%20a%20small%20container%20with,has%20a%20pH%20around%204.0.
• EPA (2023) https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what-acid-rain
• Amthor (2023) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0143147184901934
• EPA (2023 #2) https://www.epa.gov/acidrain/effects-acid-rain#:~:text=Effects%20of%20Acid%20Rain%20on%20Plants%20and%20Trees&text=Acid%20rain%20leaches%20aluminum%20from,that%20trees%20need%20to%20grow.
• (NortherenTool) https://www.northerntool.com/learn-raised-garden-bed-safety#:~:text=Unlike%20galvanized%20steel%2C%20aluminum%20is,best%20to%20avoid%20aluminum%20altogether. 
• EPA (2023 #3) https://www3.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/phscale.html
• NHDES (2019) https://www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt341/files/documents/2020-01/bb-8.pdf
• WDHS (2022)  https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/chemical/sulfurdioxide.htm#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20sulfur%20dioxide,metal%20smelting%20and%20processing%20facilities
• Arcadia (2017) https://blog.arcadia.com/15-key-facts-and-statistics-about-acid-rain/#:~:text=Acid%20rainfall%20can%20cause%20serious,occur%20due%20to%20acid%20rain.
• phox (2023) https://www.phoxwater.com/blogs/water/alkaline-water-the-benefits-for-your-plants
• ehow (2023) https://www.ehow.com/list_7776639_alkaline-water-plants.html

We would like to thank and acknowledge our science teacher, Mr. Baranec, for helping us at the very begining with figuring our project out. We would also like to thank him for supporting us and giving us time to work on our project. Another person we would like to thank and acknowledge is our schools Science Fair coordinator and teacher Ms. Burkell. We thank her for her constructive feedback that helped us improve our project and for believing that we can possibly win a medal. Last but definitly not least, we would like to thank and acknowledge our biggest supporters, our parents. We thank them for believing in us even when we thought making it to CYSF wasn't a possibility and for being very optimistic. And we thank them for being there and helping us when we really needed it.

Thank you everyone for all the support!