Question

The corrosive action of ${H_2}S{O_4}$ on the skin is due to its ____ (dehydrating/hydrating) action.

Answer 1

The chemical formula of Sulphuric acid is ${H_2}S{O_4}$ . It is a mineral acid of sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen. It is a colorless, odorless compound that is soluble in water. It is also called the oil of vitriol.

Complete step by step solution:
Sulphuric acid is a great oxidizing agent. It releases heat when it is dissolved in water as the process is exothermic. When sulphuric acid is treated with bases, it gives corresponding sulfates. For eg- When copper oxide is treated with sulphuric acid it gives copper sulphate. It is also used to displace weak acids like acetic acid from their respective salts. When metals are treated with sulphuric acid, it gives salts that are sulfates and liberates Hydrogen gas via a single displacement reaction. When it reacts with benzene it yields sulfonic acid via electrophilic aromatic substitution.
Sulphuric acid is a great Dehydrating agent and corrosive in nature. The dehydrating nature of sulphuric acid is due to its removal nature of the water molecule. It has a great affinity for ${H_2}O$ . Sulphuric acid has strong hygroscopic properties due to which it readily protonates water. When it is spilled on skin the corrosive nature causes severe burns due to the dehydrating nature, this is the reason you get burns while you spilled ${H_2}S{O_4}$ on the skin. Hence, the corrosive action of ${H_2}S{O_4}$ ​ on the skin is due to its dehydrating nature.

Note:
Sulphuric acid is a covalent compound with a molecular weight of $98g$ . When it is dissolved in water, it releases heat. Being a strong acid it dissociates completely in water into ${H^ + }$ and $HSO_4^ -$ ion. The boiling point of sulphuric acid is ${337^0}C$ .