Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Stephen Sun (26)

The harmful compound I have chosen is sulfuric acid (H2SO4 )( historically known as vitriol). Its constituent elements are hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur. It is formed by covalent bonding.

 
Hydrogen is a constituent element of sulfuric acid with the symbol H. It is the most common element in the universe, found in almost every star. It is highly flammable and ignites instantly when in contact with heat. It is colourless, odourless, nonmetallic and tasteless at room temperature.

Oxygen is a constituent element of sulfuric acid with the symbol O. By mass, it is the third most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen and helium. It is required by all living things for respiration. At room temperature, it is a colourless odourless and tasteless gas.

Sulfur is a constituent element of sulphuric acid with the symbol S.  It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Sulfur, in its native form, is a bright yellow crystalline solidIt is an essential element for life and is found in two amino acids: cysteine and methionine.

When the three elements above are combined, it will form sufuric acid. Sufuric acid is highly corrosive as it reacts with water easily. Burns from sulfuric acid are potentially more serious than those of other acids as there is additional tissue damage due to dehydration and secondary heat damage from the heat produced when reacting with water. Sulfuric acid has many applications, and is a central substance in the chemical industry. Principal uses include lead-acid batteries for cars and other vehicles, ore processing, fertilizer manufacturing, oil refining, wastewater processing, and chemical synthesis.





No comments:

Post a Comment