Increased industrialization has caused a rise in harmful acid rain precipitation that affects plant and marine life. A sample of acid rain has a proton concentration 10,000 times greater than pure water and more than 100,000 times greater than seawater. What is the approximate pH of this sample?

pH of the sample of acid rain is 3.

Explanation:

Pure water has a theoretical pH of 7.00. As pH = -log [H⁺], [H⁺] = 1x10⁻⁷M

Now, the sample of acid rain has a proton concentration 10,000 times greater than pure water. That is:

[H⁺] = 10,000 * 1x10⁻⁷M = 1x10⁻³M

The pH of this sample is:

pH = -log 1x10⁻³M

beta decay is the answer