Question

Which is more dangerous - a concentrated acid or a strong acid ?

Answer 1

You cannot compare a concentrated acid with strong acid and tell which one is more dangerous unless you know the constituents of the acids.

Generally, the concentrated acid will be more dangerous than a strong acid.

Explanation:

A strong acid is an acid that dissociates completely into its ions. Given a strong acid HA, the equation is:

HA ---> H+ + A-

Take note of the one-way direction of the arrow. If these were a weak acid, the arrow will be two-way, indicating that the dissociation will eventually reach equilibrium.

Examples of strong acids are nitric acid, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid.

A concentrated acid, on the other hand, is an acid that has not been diluted with water. It is an acid in its purest form. Typically, in the laboratory, acids can come in various concentrations. An acid of 16M concentration is typically regarded as a concentrated acid.

Not all strong acids are concentrated, and not all concentrated acids are strong.

For example, a 1M sulfuric acid solution is a strong acid solution but is not concentrated. On the other hand, a hydrofluoric acid in its purest form is a concentrated acid, but since it does not dissociate completely, it is not considered a strong acid.