making weak HCL from vinegar and salt

jadamo · Post by **jadamo** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:47 pm

what is the balanced equation which shows that acetic acid plus NaCl = hydrochloric acid?

expert · Post by **expert** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:23 pm

You can't subsitute a strong acid in a salt with a weak acid. No such reaction!

AJKOER · Post by **AJKOER** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:36 pm

Well, one could (local laws permitting) add vinegar (Acetic acid) to Bleach (NaClO and NaCl with a touch of NaOH) to make HOCl (Hypochlorous acid is a very weak acid): HAc + NaClO --> NaAc + HOCl. Distill and in the presence of sunlight: HOCl --> HCl + O. Alternately, if one can generate Chlorine, add to water: Cl₂ + H₂O <---> HCl + HOCl and again sunlight to make dilute HCl. Note, a small amount of HClO₃ may be formed by the disproportionation of the HOCl in diffused light: 2 HOCl --> HCl + HClO₂ followed by HOCl + HClO₂ --> HClO₃. However, the HClO₃ is not completely stable in the presence of chloride.

jason001 · Post by **jason001** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 9:07 am

AJKOER wrote:Well, one could (local laws permitting) add vinegar (Acetic acid) to Bleach (NaClO and NaCl with a touch of NaOH) to make HOCl (Hypochlorous acid is a very weak acid): HAc + NaClO --> NaAc + HOCl. Distill and in the presence of sunlight: HOCl --> HCl + O. Alternately, if one can generate Chlorine, add to water: Cl₂ + H₂O <---> HCl + HOCl and again sunlight to make dilute HCl. Note, a small amount of HClO₃ may be formed by the disproportionation of the HOCl in diffused light: 2 HOCl --> HCl + HClO₂ followed by HOCl + HClO₂ --> HClO₃. However, the HClO₃ is not completely stable in the presence of chloride.

Quite right.