substitute for sulfuric acid

[Heinle]

is there any common to find mixture or liquid that can be used to substitute sulfuric acid? im trying to find something not as dangerous as this acid so i can preform some acid scarifcation on some seed(smooth sumac) i have and need to be able to have them germinate for one of my science classes to show how some acids effects on plants.n if there is any possible substitutes, how long would i leave the seeds in the substitutes if im soposed to leave the seeds in a misture of consitraded(sorry forgot how to spell for a second) and water?

[hermanntrude]

I believe seeds can be "scarified" using mechanical means as well as by acids. Use some sandpaper, perhaps?

[StringJunky]

I did a quick check on what Smooth Sumac was and noted that it is deciduous and has a high tolerance for low temperature (-33F).

 

It might be possible to force germinate them by freezing them for 5 days. This process called vernalization is a mechanism used by apple trees, wheat, barley, grasses etc to ensure that the seeds produced in one season do not sprout in that same season. They have to be frosted first, then when the next Spring comes they germinate giving the resulting young plant a much better chance of completing its life-cycle, ensuring perpetuity for the species,

 

I can't confirm this method with a reference for Smooth Sumac but it's worth a go I think.

[Justonium]

I don't know anything about what you're doing, but sodium bisulfate acts like sulfuric acid when dissolved in water.

[dttom]

But the acidity of bisulfate is far lower than sulfuric acid, so probably it is not a good substitute, and many reactions sulfuric acid could understand become very difficult or nearly infeasible with bisulfate.