• Question: what acids do you need to make the most dangerous solution EVER?

    Asked by saph to Josh on 19 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Josh Makepeace

      Josh Makepeace answered on 19 Jun 2013:

      Hey saph! Very dramatic question!

      I’m not sure about the most dangerous solution ever, but one of the most dangerous ones I’ve had anything to do with it called piranha solution. It’s a mixture of sulphuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, and it is nasty stuff! Needless to say, it’s not something you should try to make at home.

      Here’s a video of it dissolving some copper:

      The other acid which is really nasty is called hydrofluoric acid. It’s super dangerous. If you get it on your skin, it apparently doesn’t hurt, but it gets absorbed into your skin. Once it’s in your bloodstream, it reacts with calcium in your blood to form solid calcium fluoride, which can cause death. Not an acid to be messed with!! It also dissolves glass, so has to be stored in plastic containers. People who work with it have to wear special safety gear and have special treatments in their lab in case of an accident.

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