Question

What are acidic gases?
(A) Gaseous mixture which forms a basic compound when mixed with water
(B) Gaseous mixture which forms an acidic compound when mixed with water
(C) Gaseous mixture which forms a neutral compound when mixed with water
(D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Acid gas in the atmosphere is one of the leading causes of acid rain, which has many degrading effects on humans as well as the environment. Carbon dioxide is an example of acid gas.

Complete step by step answer:
- Acid gas is a kind of gas formed when any gaseous compound when dissolved in water results in an acidic solution.
- The most common acid gases present in the environment are – carbon dioxide \[(C{{O}_{2}})\], hydrogen sulphide \[({{H}_{2}}S)\], hydrogen chloride (HCI), hydrogen fluoride (HF), oxides of sulphur \[(S{{O}_{2}},S{{O}_{3}})\]and oxides of nitrogen \[(N{{O}_{x}})\].
Similarly, basic gases (example - ammonia) and neutral gases (example - helium) are those which result in basic and neutral solutions, respectively.
Therefore, the answer is – option (b) – acidic gases are those gaseous mixtures which form an acidic compound when mixed with water.

Additional Information: A gaseous mixture containing a high amount of Hydrogen Sulphide is often termed as ‘sour gas’, owing to the sour odour produced by this gas.

Note: Acid gas is very harmful in nature. Accumulation of acid gas may lead to corrosion and rusting of materials. It is also very harmful for humans as prolonged exposure to acid gases can bring about severe illness. Acid gas is also one of the leading causes of global warming and acid rain.