dehydration property of sulphuric acid

Posted by ROSHAN B.S on Aug. 23, 2014, 10:16 p.m.

eaction with water and dehydrating property[edit]

Drops of concentrated sulfuric acid rapidly dehydrate a piece of cotton towel.

Because the hydration reaction of sulfuric acid is highly exothermic, dilution should always be performed by adding the acid to the water rather than the water to the acid.^[14] Because the reaction is in an equilibrium that favors the rapid protonation of water, addition of acid to the water ensures that the acid is the limiting reagent. This reaction is best thought of as the formation of hydroniumions:

H
2SO
4 + H
2O ? H
3O+
 + HSO₄^?    K₁ = 2.4×10⁶   (strong acid)

HSO?
4 + H
2O ? H
3O+
 + SO2?
4     K
2 = 1.0×10^?2 [15]