Chem 241: Acids Video

What acid is the primary catalyst in the making of most explosives used in North America?

Nitric acid (HNO₃)

What is ANFO

Ammonium nitrate fuel oil

What type of explosive is used mainly for military purposes?

RDX

What is most nitric acid used to produce?

Ammonium nitrate fertilizer

Where was the catastrophic nitric acid explosion of 1947?

Texas City, Texas

What chemical is produced in the largest amount in the US (annually)?

Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)

How many times more acidic is a solution of pH 1 acid than a solution of pH 3?

100 times

What happens if you put a piece of aluminum in concentrated sulfuric acid?

None of the aluminum foil remains, and steam is created.

How does sulfuric acid (and most other acids) burn your skin?

It absorbs the skin’s moisture, and heat is then generated.

List 3 applications of sulfuric acid?

1. Petroleum

2. Bleaching

3. Pulp and paper

SO₃ + H₂O =

H₂SO₄ (Sulfuric acid)

Why does a cut onion often make your eyes burn?

Onions are high in sulfur, and the sulfur reacts with the moisture in your eyes.

What acid is found in your stomach and used to dissolve foods?

Hydrochloric acid (HCl)

What acid is used to make gelatin for foods and other substances?

Hydrochloric acid (HCl)

What is the acid reacted with when making gelatin?

Bones

What does HCl do to bone?

It removes minerals from bones and leaves behind the rebar (protein).

List 3 things that gelatin is used for?

1. Film emulsions

2. Pharmaceuticals

3. Golf balls

What type of of acid is often found in cola?

Phosphoric acid (H₃PO₄)

What is the bulk starting material used for making vinegar?

Grain sourced alcohol

What process is used to make stainless steel clean (sterile)?

Electropolishing which is a form of passivation.

What is an application for passivated steel?

Permanent sterility

What is a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids used to dissolve precious metals called?

Aqua regia

What is acid rain?

Rainfall containing high amounts of H⁺ ions from atmospheric pollution.

What acids are the main components of acid rain?

Nitric acid (HNO₃) and sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)

What are today’s pennies composed of?

Zinc and copper plating

What sinister way were acids used on the battlefield in World War I?

Mustard gas and phosgene gas turn into hydrochloric acid in the mucous membranes and the lining of the lung. The lungs respond by trying to dilute the acid to protect the tissues, but in doing so, the lung fills up with fluid.

What is one of the oldest known historical uses of acid (etching)?

Decorated armour

At what national park are the most open acids pools located?

Yellowstone

What word is used to describe microorganisms that can live in low pH/high temperature environments?

Thermoacidophiles

Why are they important? Applications?

The enzymes that the thermoacidophiles produce may have applications in industrial processes. Hyperthermophiles produce an enzyme that is being synthesized to produce clean burning ethanol from corn.