Why Does Acid Rain Dissolve Statues Made Of Marble

Acid precipitation affects stone primarily in two ways.

Why does acid rain dissolve statues made of marble.

How does acid precipitation affect marble and limestone buildings. Not only does acid rain aggressively dissolve calcium in stone but it corrodes certain types of metal. No one expects the washington monument to melt into a toothpick but acid rain damage may slowly add up for our beloved icons. The marble has caco as the major component.

In exposed areas of buildings and statues we see roughened surfaces removal of material and loss of carved details. Caco3 s h2so4 aq caso4 aq co2 g h2o l caso4 is pretty insoluble stuff but it will dissolve in the large amount of water during the process of the degradation of the caco3 caused by acid rain. That s why acid rain dissolves statues made of marble. Many monuments are made from limestone marble and bronze materials that can be altered or slowly dissolved by acid precipitation.

Slowly is the key word of course. The acids in acid rains can react with caco by producing soluble salts. Vulnerable metals include bronze copper nickel zinc and certain types of steel. In exposed areas of buildings and statues we see roughened.

Stone surface material may be lost all over or only in spots that are more reactive. The reaction between caco and h so acid is caco s h so aq caso aq co g h o l caso is slightly soluble in water.