Commonly Found Acids, Bases And

Salts

Riya Sharma, S2H, Roll no.- 31

Acids Hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid and

nitric acid are the most commonly used acids in the laboratory as well as in several industries.

Uses of Hydrochloric Acid

• In the oil industry to dissolve oil bearing rocks.

• To manufacture chemicals such as glue.• To purify salts.• To remove scales, ie. The deposits

formed inside boilers in various industries. ( descaling)

• To make aqua regia. It is used to dissolve noble metals such as gold and platinum.

Uses of sulphuric acid

• To manufacture fertillizers such as ammonium sulphate and superphosphate.

• In automobile batteries• To manufacture detergent.• To manufacture drugs, plastics,

paints, etc.• To manufacture several chemicals

such as copper sulphate, epsom salts, etc.

• In textile, paper and leather industries.

Uses of nitric acid

• To manufacture fertillizers such as ammonium nitrate.

• To manufacture explosives such as TNT.

• To prepare aqua regia.• To extract some metals from

their ores.• To purify precious metals such as

silver and gold

Bases

Bases are extensively used by us in our daily life. They are used as laboratory reagents and in industries eg. Calcium, hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and ammonium hydroxide

Uses of calcium hydroxide

• As a subsitute for cement in low cost construction.• For white washing of

buildings.• To manufacture bleaching

powder.

Uses of sodium hydroxide

• To manufacture soap• To manufacture several

industrial chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite.

• To manufacture paper, rayon, textiles, medicines, etc.

Uses of ammonium hydroxide• To manufacture fertillizers, such as

ammonium nitrate• To manufacture nylons, plastics,

dyes, etc.• As ‘ink remover’ to remove ink spots

from clothes.

Salts

Salts are useful to us in many ways. Sodium chloride is the most common salt, the common table salt used for the seasoning of food. It forms cubic crystals apparent even in table salt.