Properties of Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4)
Physical Properties of Sulfuric Acid
- H2SO4 is a viscous, thick, colorless, and oily liquid
- Sulfuric acid has a density of 1.84 g/mL, a boiling point of 337 °C, and a melting point of 10 °C.
- Concentrated sulfuric acid is 98% in water, and is the most stable form. Many other concentrations, with different names, are available for various purposes like Battery acid which is 29–32%, chamber acid which is 62-70%, and tower acid which is 78-80%.
- It has a specific gravity of 1.84 at 298 K.
- It turns blue litmus red and the pH values of sulphuric acid in mmol/l are mentioned in the table below,
| pH values | 1 mM | 10 mM | 100 mM |
| Sulphuric acid (in mmol/l) | 2.75 | 1.87 | 1.01 |
- It is highly corrosive, making it dangerous to touch.
Chemical Properties of Sulfuric Acid
- H2SO4 is a strong acid that completely dissociates into ions in its aqueous solution as,
H2SO4 ⇢ H2+ + SO4-2
- Sulphuric Acid is a good oxidizing agent, as it oxidizes other substances by donating its oxygen atoms, in a chemical reaction. As shown below, it oxidizes carbon and sulphur.
2H2SO4 + C ⇢ 2H2O + 2SO2 + CO2
2H2SO4 + S ⇢ 2H2O + 3SO2
- Sulfuric acid reacts vigorously with water in a highly exothermic reaction (i.e., releases heat).
- Sulphuric Acid is a dibasic acid and releases two hydrogen ions per molecule.
- Sulphuric Acid has hygroscopic properties, which implies that H2SO4 can draw and control moisture from its surroundings. This effect makes it a good dehydrating agent.
- It is less volatile. This is why it contributes to preparing more volatile acids from their complementary salts.
Sulfuric Acid – H2SO4
Sulfuric Acid or Sulphuric Acid is a mineral acid consisting of one Sulfur, four Oxygen, and two Hydrogen atoms. The chemical or molecular formula of Sulfuric Acid is H2SO4. Sulfuric Acid is one most important commercially used chemicals. It is also known as Mattling acid or Hydrogen Sulfate or Vitriol. Sulphuric acid is a very strong acid and viscous liquid. It is a colorless, odorless, oily liquid, and corrosive in nature. Sulfuric acid is a component of acid rain as it is soluble in water.
Sulfuric acid is a highly acidic liquid. As a result, it is used for the cleaning of metals, the extraction of impurities from oil, the production of chemicals such as nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, and the manufacture of dye, medicines, detergents, and explosives, among other processes. The molar mass of Sulfuric Acid is 98.079 g/mol. The density of Sulfuric acid is 1.83 g/cm3. The H2SO4 molecule is covalent and has a tetrahedral structure and monoclinic crystal structure.
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