Video Transcript
Which of the following cannot
describe sulfuric acid? (A) It has the chemical formula
H2SO4. (B) It has a bitter taste. (C) It turns a blue litmus paper
red. (D) It is a strong acid. (E) It has a corrosive effect on
the skin.
The name sulfuric acid tells us
that this compound is an acid. An acid is a substance that
dissociates in water to produce positively charged hydrogen ions. There are many different substances
that can be classified as an acid, and each of these substances share similar
characteristics. Acids tend to have a sour
taste. Lemons, vinegar, and Coca-Cola all
contain acids. We can test for the presence of an
acid using blue litmus paper, as acids will turn a blue litmus paper red.
Now that we’ve looked at acids in
general, let’s look more specifically at sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid has the chemical
formula H2SO4. Acids range from weak to strong
with sulfuric acid being considered a strong acid. In general, the stronger the acid,
the more dangerous the acid is. Strong acids like sulfuric acid
tend to be corrosive. This means that the acid has high
reactivity that can cause damage to other materials and bodily tissue.
Now that we know some more about
sulfuric acid, we can determine which of the statements cannot describe it. We know that sulfuric acid has the
chemical formula H2SO4. It is a strong acid, and it is
corrosive. So answer choices (A), (D), and (E)
can describe sulfuric acid and therefore cannot be the answer to this question. Sulfuric acid, like all acids, will
turn a blue litmus paper red. So answer choice (C) cannot be the
answer to this question. This leaves us with answer choice
(B). We know that acids have a sour
taste, not a bitter taste. The type of compound that typically
has a bitter taste is a base. Therefore, the statement that
cannot describe sulfuric acid is answer choice (B): it has a bitter taste.
