Acid rain is a growing worldwide environmental problem. Naturally, rainwater should have a pH of not less than 5.5, but in the northeastern United States for example, the average pH of the rainwater is about 4.5. The increased acidity of the rain kills plants and animals in lakes and streams, causes increased weathering and decomposition of limestone in statues and on buildings (a major problem for Greek antiquities), and creates problems with the production of fruit and vegetable crops. The major chemical involved is sulfur dioxide, SO2, which combines with rainwater to form sulfuric acid. Although sulfur dioxide has many sources including volcanoes and metal smelting, the main source is believed to be the burning of fossil fuel. The number of moles, n, of sulfur dioxide released from a coal-burning power plant can be determined from the density, d; volume, V; and the molar mass, Mm, of sulfur dioxide gas given off by the power plant.
If a given power plant released sulfur dioxide gas with a volume, V, of 1200 m3 at a density, d, of 2.86 kg/m3 at standard pressure and temperature, how many moles of sulfur dioxide are released?