Sulphuric Acid Essay

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ackground
Sulphuric acid is considered to be one of the strongest acids. It was first discovered in the 800A.D by an Islamic chemist by the name of Jābir ibn Hayyān. It is also the world’s most important industrial chemical, often called the “oil of vitrol”. It is a diprotic acid and is very corrosive and it able to eat through many organic substances and the acid is soluble in water at all concentrations. One of the reason as to why sulphuric Acid is important to the chemical industry because it has many different uses examples of this include lead-acid vehicles battery, oil refining and over 50% of sulphuric acid is used as fertilisers.

Physical and chemical Properties
Sulphuric acid contains two hydrogen atoms as well as four oxygen atoms and a single sulphur atom. It is a colourless liquid that is very acidic, with a pH of 0.85, making it very dangerous. Because it is contains the hydrogen atoms it make it an amphiprotic molecule, making it able to both donate and accepts hydrogen atoms, when it needs too. It is also a diprotic acid, with the first stage of ionization,

H2SO4 → H+ + HSO4-

HSO4- → H+ + SO4-2

Some physical properties that sulphuric acid has are:
• Melting Point: 10.3 degrees
• Boiling Point: 338 degrees
• Formula weight: 98.08
• Specific gravity: 1.94
• Flash point: none
• Density: 1.84g/cm3

Sulphuric acid is also a oxidizing agent as well as a drying agent because of its properties with water. The properties it has with water is that it is able to remove the water molecules from any many organic compounds.

Manufacture
Sulphuric acid is produced by dissolving sulphur trioxide (SO3) in water (H2O).
SO3 + H2O → H2SO4

The nitrogen dioxide produced is then used with sulphur dioxide. The two ar...

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...nd eyes and leaving burns on the skin.

If sulphuric acid is inhaled or swallowed whole it can cause serious damage to the lungs, mouth and teeth. This can lead to severe and permanent damage to the digestive tract. Causes gastrointestinal tract burns and irritation in the respiratory reactions with burning including pain in the nose and throat.

This is a list of the danger levels of sulphuric acid:
• Health Rating: 4 - Extreme
• Contact Rating: 4 - Extreme
• Flammability Rating: 0
• Reactivity Rating: 2 - Moderate
• Storage Colour Code: White

Sulphuric acid reacts violently with many organic and inorganic chemicals in certain conditions the reaction includes human skins and and with water. It is about to dissolve metals that can lead to reactions releasing hydrogen, which is flammable and can form explosive mixtures that attacks and eats other materials.

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