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Hydrochloric acid

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White Cameron Mr. Bolton Physical Science 15 December 2009 Hydrochloric Acid Hydrochloric acid is one of the most acidic natural substances on Earth. Its name, Hydrogen chloride, comes from its chemical formula HCl. It is named this because it is an ionic bond. There is only one of each atom, because Hydrogen has a charge of 1 positive, and Chlorine has a charge of 1 negative. So using the "Criss-Cross Method" we can tell that there is only one of each atom. It is commonly referred to as Hydrochloric acid, or Muriatic acid. ...read more.


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. ...read more.


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 Industrial Revolution, hydrochloric acid is used in the chemical industry as a chemical reagent in the large-scale production of vinyl chloride for PVC plastic, and the pickling of steel. It has many smaller-scale applications, including household cleaning, production of gelatin and other food additives and leather processing. About 20 million metric tons of hydrochloric acid are produced annually. It is essential in the modern, household, and industrial worlds. ...read more.

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This report has lots of interesting and useful details, however also has lots of mistakes and repeats itself on occasion

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Marked by teacher Jo Wilcox 15/03/2012

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