Acids/Bases outside of solution?

[rthmjohn]

By the Arrhenius definition, acids and bases must be in aqeous solution. Is it possible to have acidic/basic compounds outside of solution? I know that HCl is a gas and NaOH is a crystalline solid outside of solution, but is it possible to have compounds like hydrogen sulfate or hydrogen nitrate OUTSIDE of solution?

[akcapr]

hydrogne nitrate- nitric acid, it can be really concentrated thus not being in a solution of water. hydrogen sulfate- i think u mean H2S, that can exist as a gas outside of solution as a gas

[BenSon]

hydrogne nitrate- nitric acid, it can be really concentrated thus not being in a solution of water. hydrogen sulfate- i think u mean H2S, that can exist as a gas outside of solution as a gas

Akcapar H2S is hydrogen sulfide not hydrogen sulfate. I think rthmjohn is asking weather it is possible to have anhydrous H2SO4. Not to my nowledge, once sufuric acid gets to a certain concentration it dosen't iberate as a gas like HNO3 or HCL but it decomposes. H2SO4 = SO3 + H2O. That is why one must be very careful when concetrating sulfuric acid because if you were to breath in the SO3 vapours they would hydrolyse in you throat. This is actually one of the causes of acid rain from sulfur impurities in fossil fuels however the main concern from sulfur oxides and acid rain is not sulfuric acid but sufurous acid H2SO3 wich is formed from the more comon sulfoxide SO2.

 

~Scott

[Primarygun]

Acids are molecules and alkalis are ionic compounds, they give their properties only in aqueous solution. Hence, they exist without water

[rthmjohn]

I know that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exists as a gas outside of solution.

[raivo]

It is possible to have anhydrous sulfuric acid but it can not be made by evaporation. There are other ways ( such as saturating with SO3 gas )

[YT2095]

the resultant product being Oleum, a thick oily liquid and NOT technicaly an Acid