Which sequence correctly describes acid rain formation and its impacts?

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Acid rain forms when emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from burning fossil fuels react in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric and nitric acids. When these acids are carried down by rain, the pH of precipitation drops below normal, making it more acidic. This increased acidity affects the environment in several ways: it mobilizes metals such as aluminum in soils, which can harm plant roots and aquatic organisms; it acidifies lakes and streams, reducing biodiversity; and it accelerates the weathering of materials, leading to damage of buildings and monuments.

Other ideas miss the main mechanism because carbon dioxide dissolving in rain forms carbonic acid, which is a much weaker contributor and does not drive the severe ecological and structural impacts seen with acid rain. Ozone breakdown and methane oxidation do not produce the sulfuric or nitric acids responsible for this phenomenon.