Question
Question: Give six uses of acids....
Give six uses of acids.
Solution
An acid can be defined as a chemical which releases hydrogen ions in water thereby forming salts by integrating with specific metals. pH scale can be used to measure acidity. On the pH scale, the value of 7 is considered to be neutral, whereas, a value from 7 to 0 indicates increasing acidity.
Complete step by step solution:
Different names of acids along-with their uses are listed in the table given below:
| S.No. | Name of acid | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hydrochloric acid HCl | (i) refining of the metals, (ii) maintenance of swimming pools, (iii) household cleaning. |
| 2. | Sulphuric acid H2SO4 | (i) car batteries, (ii) manufacture of fertilizers |
| 3. | Nitric acid HNO3 | (i) manufacturing of fertilizers, explosives, (ii) extraction of gold. |
| 4. | Acetic acid CH3COOH | Main ingredient in the vinegar |
| 5. | Carbonic acid H2CO3 | ingredient in the carbonated drinks |
| 6. | Citric acid C6H8O7 | (i) food and dietary supplements, (ii) an acidulant in creams, liquids, gels, and lotions. |
| 7. | Acetylsalicylic acid C6H4(OCOCH3)CO2H | active ingredient in the aspirin |
Note:
There are certain factors that influence acidity of compounds which are: (i) Electronegativity: Acidity goes on increasing as you move from left to right in a periodic chart. (ii) Anion size: Acidity goes on increasing as you move from top to down in a periodic chart. (iii) Resonance: Anions having resonance structures are more acidic in comparison to anions which don't have.
