What types of acid are there

Vinegar contains acetic acid. Your own stomach utilizes hydrochloric acid to digest food. Acids are a distinct class of compounds because of the properties of their aqueous solutions as outlined below:. It should not be hard for you to name several common acids but you might find that listing bases is a little more difficult. Below is a partial list of some common acids, along with some chemical formulas:.

What exactly makes an acid an acid, and what makes a base act as a base? Take a look at the formulas given in the above table and take a guess. Hydrochloric acid is a corrosive, strong mineral acid with many industrial uses. A colorless, highly pungent solution of hydrogen chloride HCl in water. Hydrochloric acid can therefore be used to prepare chloride salts.

Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid, since it is completely dissociated in water. Hydrochloric acid is the preferred acid in titration for determining the amount of bases.

Sulfuric acid is a diprotic acid and has a wide range of applications including use in domestic acidic drain cleaners, [ as an electrolyte in lead-acid batteries, and in various cleaning agents.

It is also a central substance in the chemical industry. Because the hydration of sulfuric acid is thermodynamically favorable and is highly exothermic and the affinity of it for water is sufficiently strong, sulfuric acid is an excellent dehydrating agent. Nitric acid is normally considered to be a strong acid at ambient temperatures. Nitric acid reacts with most metals, but the details depend on the concentration of the acid and the nature of the metal.

Dilute nitric acid behaves as a typical acid in its reaction with most metals e. Nitric acid is a corrosive acid and a powerful oxidizing agent.

Concentrated nitric acid stains human skin yellow due to its reaction with the keratin. Carbonic acid, which is a weak acid, forms two kinds of salts: the carbonates and the bicarbonates. In geology, carbonic acid causes limestone to dissolve, producing calcium bicarbonate—which leads to many limestone features such as stalactites and stalagmites. Carbonic acid is a polyprotic acid, specifically it is diprotic, meaning that it has two protons which may dissociate from the parent molecule.

Both acid has sulfur atom as central atom, while H 2 SO 4 has one more oxygen atom. For Carboxylic Acid, only the hydrogen atom in the carboxyl group can be ionized and contribute to acidity.

This type of acid comes up a lot in organic chemistry and biology. For example, Benzoic acid is one of the carboxylic acids. Benzene has a ring structure, and the carboxyl group is represented as -COOH. Putting these two things together will become the structure of benzoic acid. Oxalic acid is a weak acid. Phosphoric Acid: H 3 PO 4 Also known as: orthophosphoric acid, trihydrogen phosphate, acidum phosphoricum.

Phosphoric acid is a mineral acid used in home cleaning products, as a chemical reagent, as a rust inhibitor, and as a dental etchant. Phosphoric acid is also an important acid in biochemistry. It is a strong acid. Sulfuric acid is a corrosive mineral strong acid. Although normally clear to slightly yellow, it may be dyed dark brown to alert people to its composition. Sulfuric acid causes serious chemical burns, as well as thermal burns from the exothermic dehydration reaction.

The acid is used in lead batteries, drain cleaners, and chemical synthesis. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance.

Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. Chemistry Expert. Helmenstine holds a Ph. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated September 24,