28. A community located downwind from a power plant that burns high-sulfur coals
a. may experience the effects of acid rain
b. is safe since pollution from the plant is dispersed by wind
c. will experience ozone depletion in the surrounding air
d. should filter the air before processing it through air conditioning units
A?
-MC
A) is the best answer.
Yes, you are correct. A community located downwind from a power plant that burns high-sulfur coals may experience the effects of acid rain. Acid rain occurs when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, especially coal. These pollutants can combine with moisture in the air to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid, which then fall to the ground as acid rain. This can have detrimental effects on the environment, including damage to plants, buildings, and aquatic ecosystems.
Correct! The answer is A, a community located downwind from a power plant that burns high-sulfur coals may experience the effects of acid rain.
To arrive at this answer, it's important to understand the concept of acid rain and how it occurs. When high-sulfur coals are burned, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere. This SO2 reacts with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric acid, which then falls to the Earth's surface as acid rain.
To get to the answer, you need to consider the fact that the community in question is downwind from the power plant. This means that the prevailing winds would blow the emissions from the power plant towards the community. As a result, the community would be more likely to be affected by the acid rain since they are in the direct path of the emissions.
In contrast, options B, C, and D are incorrect. Option B suggests that the pollution from the plant is dispersed by wind and thus may imply that the downwind community is safe. However, this is not the case as the emissions can still travel with the wind and affect the community.
Option C mentions ozone depletion, which is a separate environmental issue caused by the release of certain chemicals known as ozone-depleting substances. This is not directly related to the burning of high-sulfur coal and acid rain formation.
Option D suggests filtering the air before processing it through air conditioning units. While this might help improve indoor air quality, it doesn't directly address the issue of acid rain caused by the power plant emissions.
Therefore, based on the information provided, the correct answer is A, which states that the community downwind from the power plant may experience the effects of acid rain.