Acids are very present in our daily lives, they are even present in our food, for example, in citrus fruits we find citric and ascorbic acids (vitamin C).
Let's look at the characteristics and use of the most common acids:
Sulfuric acid (H2ONLY4): Strong acid (highly corrosive) consumed in huge quantities in the petrochemical industry, in the manufacture of paper, dyes and automobile batteries.
Phosphoric acid (H3DUST4): the salts (phosphates and superphosphates) derived from this acid have wide application as fertilizers in agriculture.
Hydrofluoric acid (HF): this acid has the ability to corrode glass and is therefore stored only in polyethylene bottles.
Due to its corrosion property, hydrofluoric acid is used for engraving on glass. Car windows have a number at the bottom, this is engraved with the help of this acid.
Nitric acid (HNO3): one of the most manufactured and consumed acids by the industry.
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Use: manufacture of explosives, such as nitroglycerin (dynamite), trinitrotoluene (TNT), trinitrocellulose (powder cotton), saltpeter (
NaNO3, KNO3) and black gunpowder (saltpetre + coal + sulphur).Hydrochloric acid (HCl): reagent widely used in industry and in the laboratory.
In civil construction it is used to remove lime splashes (after whitewashing) from floors and tiles. In this case, it is better known as muriatic acid: a high-potential cleaning agent.
HCl is present in our own body. It is found in gastric juice and has the role of aiding digestion.
Acetic Acid (CH3COOH): an acid component of vinegar, an indispensable seasoning in the kitchen, used in the preparation of salads and mayonnaise.
carbonic acid (H2CO3): carbonated water and soft drinks have their differential (more refreshing) thanks to this acid, it is formed in the reaction of carbon dioxide with water:
CO2 + H2O → H2CO3
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Most common acids in everyday chemistry"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/acidos-mais-comuns-na-quimica-do-cotidiano.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
