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[dementedquaker]

Yesterday I discovered by experience that methylene chloride (also known as dichloromethane) burns when it gets on your skin (I've been working a lot with this solvent.). Nothing too serious - the redness faded by the time I went to bed, and the two small welts were almost gone by this morning. (They weren't really welts per se, but two small

Comments

[zimboptoo]

We use 18 molar hydrochloric acid in the soil testing lab on a regular basis. that's fun stuff. We put an old penny in and it was gone in under a minute. It takes 4 boxes of baking soda to neutralize half a litre of it. So cool. So incredibly dangerous. So many rubber gloves and sealed goggles and eye wash stations. whee!

[dementedquaker]

mm 18M HCl. Since baking soda is bicarbonate (HCO3), a weak base, it makes sense that it would take a lot of it to neutralize HCl, a strong acid. :)

(Yay chemistry!)

[zimboptoo]

Just think how much longer those vinigar/baking soda volcanoes back in elementary school would have lasted if they had used HCl. *grins*

[feelingroovyqc]

my not-so-walkable-Raleigh-Self is really jealous of your Bostonness. Glad you're having fun, what book did you read all of?

[dementedquaker]

I read Anthem by Ayn Rand. Somewhat reminiscent of Orwell's 1984. (I'm not sure which was published first, though.) :)

[feelingroovyqc]

Ahh Anthem - I love that book, it's like the grown up version of The Giver which is my favorite ever! I've never been able to finish 1984...maybe I should try again sometime.