Hydrochloric acid

        The compound Hydrochloric acid has a unique set of physical properties. It is commonly found in its liquid state. It is sold at roughly distributed at 30% concentration, at a mixture of Hydrochloric acid and water. It is colorless to a light yellow. HCl’s melting point is at -27.32°C. Its boiling point is at 110°C.  Its density is 1.18 g/cm‹. It is an extremely corrosive substance with a ph level of -8 pKa. Hydrochloric acid has physical properties like no other compound.

        Hydrochloric acid is a non-conductive liquid. It is non polar, so is has little to no surface tension. The bond between the hydrogen and chlorine atoms in HCl is an ionic one. The Hydrogen atom looses an atom to the Chlorine atom, completing the Chlorine’s outer energy level. Hydrochloric acid works well with the breaking down of organic materials. That is why it is used in our stomachs to digest food. HCl is a widely used, and unique substance.

        Hydrochloric acid has many uses in the modern everyday world. Your stomach produces it naturally to digest food. It is used in the production of steel. It is even used in the production of batteries, photoflash bulbs, gelatin, and fireworks. Its also used for leather processing, and the production of vinyl for PVC pipes. It is considered a “workhorse” chemical because it is incredibly useful in a wide variety of ways.

        With major production starting in the , hydrochloric acid is used in the  as a  in the large-scale production of  for  plastic, and the pickling of steel. It has many smaller-scale applications, including household , production of  and other  and  processing. About 20 million metric tons of hydrochloric acid are produced annually. It is essential in the modern, household, and industrial worlds.

Works Cited Page

Worldbook:

Smith, Carolyn. World Book. 9. Chicago

        World Book inc., 2005

Wikipedia:

        Dec. 7, 2009

WikiAnswers:

        Dec. 9, 2009