[GCampbell]

I have to do a project in which I have to see the effect of acid rain on the growth of barley. Does anyone know how I'd go about making sulfuric acid or nitric acid?

[Arkcon]

Whoever gave you the project should be able to provide you with either dilute sulfurous acid, or dilute nitric acid.  Nitric is more in style these days, as the sulfur emissions now have fallen under tighter control.  According to wikipedia, the pH of acid rain is the same as vinegar, so maybe you can use that instead.

[Alpha-Omega]

Here is the link to a nice little experiment where you make your own simulated acid rain using HCl and sodium sulfite.  The difference will be the material you test.  You will be testing your barley.

http://www.scienceman.com/science10/pgs/techid_u1_16.html

That may help you.

[GCampbell]

OK thanks for the the help.

[GCampbell]

I have another few questions. I have to actually make up the sulfuric acid myself. Does anyone know how to make it such as what I need and how much of it I need? I have been trying to look it up but I can't seem to find it. Also after I grow the seeds I am going to be testing for the presence of the metals phosphorus, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and sodium. Does anyone know where I could find some practicals so I know what reagents I need?

In this project we have to do basically everything. We have to find protocols, see what reagents we need and make them up ourselves. I know it's a lot to ask but help would be very much appreciated.

[Arkcon]

I have another few questions. I have to actually make up the sulfuric acid myself. Does anyone know how to make it such as what I need and how much of it I need? I have been trying to look it up but I can't seem to find it.

A quick Google search doesn't give me a direct answer for concentration of acid rain either.  Try to ask the teacher what technical resources you can have access to to find out how much H₂SO₄ ends up in acid rain.  You'll probably have to reference them in your report, and "this guy on a forum I frequent" usually doesn't count as a reference.

Beginner's chemistry will tell you how to dilute the concentrated acid you'll be given to the strength you research, and you can ask again here if you get stuck.

Also after I grow the seeds I am going to be testing for the presence of the metals phosphorus, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and sodium. Does anyone know where I could find some practicals so I know what reagents I need?

Well, now that's a pretty tall order.  Wet chemical techniques for some some those elements (they're not all metals, look it up) are pretty complicated, and not very accurate, especially for small sample sizes, as barley sprouts are likely to be.  I would suggest ICP or Flame AA techniques, but I don't know your technical level, and what equipment you have access too.

There are other problems too -- matrix effects from all that biomass, extraction efficiency, the seeds have very little of these elements in them, they absorb them from the soil and water -- so you will have to talk about how you've controlled what goes in, to justify your quantitation of the seedlings.

In this project we have to do basically everything. We have to find protocols, see what reagents we need and make them up ourselves. I know it's a lot to ask but help would be very much appreciated.

Yeah you sure do.  To be more helpful, you should tell us more about this project -- the level, high school? college?  Some other earlier projects you've done.  The requirements -- are you supposed to do all these tasks, or just research how it's done and submit a report.  If you have to do it, what sort of budget you have for purchases, and what you have in stock in your lab.

[GCampbell]

I'm in 3rd year of college. I honestly don't see how I got this far. Science obviously isn't my thing. I get by purely on learning. Anyway back to the topic. We were all given a title and mine is "the effect of simulated acid rain on barley". Most of us would have no experience in big projects like this. This is my first big project. I think it's really to get us all skilled in researching. So we have to first do a project plan which is for monday, then a literature review, then 6 weeks of experiments and then a 6000 word report  Most of the materials are provided but we would have to look up how to make all, reagents, chemicals and anything we need.

[GCampbell]

I really am ******. I really don't know what to do.

[Arkcon]

Well, try some Google searches, someone may have done something similar.  For example, when I did a Google search for "acid rain concentration" one of the links, that actually had numbers was this one: http://www.cdli.ca/sciencefairs/cwsf2001/summary3.html.  To be honest, the level of his experiment is far below yours, but, at least he did something.

Where in your assignment did they discuss your need to quantitate those particular elements?  The exact question will help us know the accuracy of the method needed, and might simplify that part.

[GCampbell]

Which elements are you talking about? The ones I may be testing the roots for?

[Alpha-Omega]

In this project we have to do basically everything. We have to find protocols, see what reagents we need and make them up ourselves. I know it's a lot to ask but help would be very much appreciated.

Do you have to use wet methods?

I can give you an IC Method...Do you have access to an IC ((ion chromatograph)?

You can use an HPLC  just add a suppressor and a conductivity detector...

Here is a Dionex protocol for testing Acid Rain:

http://www1.dionex.com/en-us/lp44339.html

I have attached 1 application note  AN 31 and 1 application update AU 146 for testing for anions in acid rain.

For our cations in Acid rain you could use AN 86...Trace cations in Power Plat Waters...I have attached it as well.

Check this list I pulled from the Dionex website (www.dionex.com).  I did a search for trace cations..

http://www1.dionex.com/en-us/literature/lp53336.html

Also, you might have to do some matrix elimination. So I attached a copy of the ON-Guard II Cartridge Data Sheet.

If you go to www.dionex.com there is a search field in the upper right-hand corner.  Type in the analytes/species you are seeking and you will get numerous hits.

Additionally, EPA has protocols  in place for all the analytes you are seeking.

First look atthisin Wikipedia (it cites an EPA Article Reference #9):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain

Here is EPA 40 CFR Part 75:  http://www.epa.gov/ttn/caaa/t4/fr_notices/certext.pdf

And EPA Tracability Protocol for Acid rain:

http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-AIR/2008/January/Day-24/a25071.pdf

EPA Student Page on Acid Rain PER USGS:

http://water.usgs.gov/nwc/NWC/pH/html/ph.html

The references at the end of this page should also help you:

http://wside.k12.il.us/tms/Science/bracke/acidrain.html

AND,,,this is the EPA site...you will find many protocols for the analytes you seek:

http://www.epa.gov/

That is a start....