When diluting acids, it is crucial to add the acid slowly to the water, and not the other way around. This is a common safety practice in chemistry, summarized by the phrase 'Do as you oughta, add acid to water.' Here's why this is important:
Exothermic Reaction: Adding acid to water results in an exothermic reaction, which means it releases heat. By adding acid slowly to water, the heat generated can be absorbed by the large volume of water, reducing the chance of the mixture splattering or overheating suddenly.
Safety Precautions: If you were to add water to acid, the initial contact would produce a large amount of heat in a small area, causing the mixture to potentially boil rapidly, leading to splashes or sputtering of the acidic solution. This could result in chemical burns or damage.
Control and Mixing: Pouring acid into water in a controlled manner allows for gradual mixing. The water dilutes the acid more evenly and absorbs the heat as it is produced, preventing localized heating, which can lead to dangerous splashing.
Volatility of Acid Vapors: Certain acids, like sulfuric acid, give off potentially harmful vapors, and pouring slowly minimizes the release of these vapors.
To summarize, when diluting acids, always remember to add acid to water, not the other way around, to ensure safety and control over the reaction.
A device with a current of 15.0 A for 30 seconds will have a total charge of 450 Coulombs. This charge corresponds to approximately 2.81 x 10^21 electrons flowing through the device. We used the relationship between current, charge, and the charge of an electron to arrive at this number.
;