• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Why is acid so difficult to drink?

Acid is often quite easy to drink, it just depends which kind (apple juice, soft drinks, even milk is slightly acid)...
 
Jorghnassen said:
Acid is often quite easy to drink, it just depends which kind (apple juice, soft drinks, even milk is slightly acid)...
Click to expand...
Absolutely. Any carbonated water is a weak carbonic acid.

And, of course, orange juice is more acidic than the much maligned Coca Cola.

All of it pales next to the strong acid sloshing around in your stomach. Which you also wouldn't want to drink because of what it could do to your mouth and oesophagus.
 
I was looking at a small fab plant where I am doing some contract work.

They are using very strong Hydro Flouric acid. Apparently, you can put your hand in it, drink it, whatever, and you won't feel it is doing anything harmful to you. It is, though. There are warning signs everywhere.
 
a_unique_person said:
I was looking at a small fab plant where I am doing some contract work.

They are using very strong Hydro Flouric acid. Apparently, you can put your hand in it, drink it, whatever, and you won't feel it is doing anything harmful to you. It is, though. There are warning signs everywhere.
Click to expand...

Pure acid isn't a problem intill it gets into some water. since you are largle made of water you would only be able to get away with dipping your hand in very briefly.
 
hydrofloric acid, is particuly nasty when it gets in the body.

In the body, hydrofluoric acid reacts with calcium and magnesium ions and can disable organs whose proper function depends on these metal ions. Exposure to hydrofluoric acid may not be initially painful, and symptoms may not occur until several hours later, when the acid begins to react with calcium in the bones. Under most circumstances, hydrofluoric acid exposure results in severe or even lethal damage to the heart, liver, kidneys, and nerves.
Click to expand...

Wikipedia has >Excellent< chemistry articles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid

O.
:)
 
Orangutan said:
hydrofloric acid, is particuly nasty when it gets in the body.
Click to expand...

It is quite nasty; if you get splashed you're supposed to rub in calcium gluconate, which is sold as a gel in a tube. The F- then precipitates out as (harmless) CaF2. Aqueous HF, as has been noted before, is not a particularly strong acid, indeed its salts, e.g. NaF, given alkaline solutions. When anhydrous HF is used the acid "component" is conceived to be H2F+.

Just back on topic, I am told that nice flavours are generally associated with acidity (tomato juice, lemon juice, vinegar etc.). The most alkaline thing we eat is probably egg white (pH about 9?) - its bland, soapy, bitter flavour is typical of the alkali.

Edited for superscripts
 
A little pH table

It seems that we can happily eat things that are as acidly as strong as 2.0 pH (lemon juice), but about the strongest alkali we would ingest is Milk of Magnesia at about 10.5.
Ammonia is 11.
 
Because it usually comes on blotter paper or in sugar cubes.
 
Ashles said:
Absolutely. Any carbonated water is a weak carbonic acid.
Click to expand...

Here's a fun exercise for a party: see how long you can hold your tongue in a carbonated beverage?

The buildup of carbonic acid gets very high very quickly. If you can last more than 30 seconds, you are doing better than most people. Most people will quit in 15 seconds, because it isn't worth the pain.
 
Aw, damn. And here I thought you had tried one of Trudeau's "cures" and were reporting on the effects. Don't get my hopes up like that.
 
Jorghnassen said:
Acid is often quite easy to drink, it just depends which kind (apple juice, soft drinks, even milk is slightly acid)...
Click to expand...

I had battery acid, or even hydrochloric acid toilet bowl cleaner in mind.
 
geni said:
Pure acid isn't a problem intill it gets into some water. since you are largle made of water you would only be able to get away with dipping your hand in very briefly.
Click to expand...
As long as you're not sweating, you might not notice it all. At least until you try to wash it off your hands...

pgwenthold said:
Here's a fun exercise for a party: see how long you can hold your tongue in a carbonated beverage?

The buildup of carbonic acid gets very high very quickly. If you can last more than 30 seconds, you are doing better than most people. Most people will quit in 15 seconds, because it isn't worth the pain.
Click to expand...
Really? I wonder if I didn't do it right or something. I lasted 45, and stopped more out of boredom than pain.
 
Orangutan said:
hydrofloric acid, is particuly nasty when it gets in the body.



Wikipedia has >Excellent< chemistry articles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid

O.
:)
Click to expand...

Quite so. I found this most disturbing as it's a particularly nasty way to go. My brother was murdered with hydroflouric acid. The doctors revived him 6 times but as organs were shutting down one by one it was ultimately hopeless.

The judge also took a dim view and sentenced the the perpetrator to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he serve the full term (UK).

Please be careful with it.
 
Why is "hydrofluoric " so hard to spell?

(To say nothing of "fluorescence").
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom