1
Question
How can we mix and acid and acid ? How can we mix Nitric acid and Hydrochloric Acid withoutgetting hurt?
Open in App
Solution
Mixing two acids and two bases will result in acid and base. Only if you mix an acid and a base together will it get neutralized. Be careful - for instance mixing nitric and sulphuric acid together has a severe exothermic reaction and forms the basis substance of nitro-glycerin - Add the nitric acid to the hydrochloric acid. Do not add hydrochloric to nitric! The resulting solution with be a fuming red or yellow liquid. It will smell strongly of chlorine (although your fume hood should protect you from this).
Because Chemistry of the process can be easily found elsewhere. The reason for this mixing order is in physical chemistry of the process: you need to mix 4 volumes of concentrated HCl (37%) with 1 volume of concentrated HNO3 (68%). If you could achieve that instantaneously, it wouldn't matter which way you go, but you can't. You have to pour one liquid into another. 1) it is much quicker to pour 1 volume into 4 volumes than the other way around. Time is important here, because as time goes you will lose the active concentration through chemical reactions; 2) as they mix, there is heat released. The heat will accelerate chemical reactions; 3) density of HNO3 is greater than that of HCl, it helps that the liquid you pour tends to "go down" rather than stays on top (which would be the case if HCl was added to HNO3). This way you avoid local overheating, which would accelerate reaction and may even cause splashing. So your answer is: safety and practicality, not so much chemistry.
Mixing two acids and two bases will result in acid and base. Only if you mix an acid and a base together will it get neutralized.
Be careful - for instance mixing nitric and sulphuric acid together has a severe exothermic reaction and forms the basis substance of nitro-glycerin
- Add the nitric acid to the hydrochloric acid. Do not add hydrochloric to nitric! The resulting solution with be a fuming red or yellow liquid. It will smell strongly of chlorine (although your fume hood should protect you from this).
Because
Chemistry of the process can be easily found elsewhere. The reason for this mixing order is in physical chemistry of the process: you need to mix 4 volumes of concentrated HCl (37%) with 1 volume of concentrated HNO3 (68%). If you could achieve that instantaneously, it wouldn't matter which way you go, but you can't. You have to pour one liquid into another.
1) it is much quicker to pour 1 volume into 4 volumes than the other way around. Time is important here, because as time goes you will lose the active concentration through chemical reactions;
2) as they mix, there is heat released. The heat will accelerate chemical reactions;
3) density of HNO3 is greater than that of HCl, it helps that the liquid you pour tends to "go down" rather than stays on top (which would be the case if HCl was added to HNO3). This way you avoid local overheating, which would accelerate reaction and may even cause splashing. So your answer is: safety and practicality, not so much chemistry.
Suggest Corrections
1
Similar questions