Local Excitement.

[Trevian]

A little local excitement is brewing.  I live only about a mile and a half from this.  I don't think it' much to worry about though, but if it keeps me from playing I'm writing my damn congressman or something!

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/1541716/?d_full_comments=1&d_comments_page=2#comments_block

[Alwynn]

Put on your Acid resist equipment, and grab a bard just to safe...

[Namae Nai]

Or if you want to start the fourth of July early, you could buy a lot of Drano and pour it out on the street right before it rains. Strong acids mixed with strong bases react explosively!   

try not to do this near the vehicles of anyone you like, though.   

[Namae Nai]

I'm just kidding by the way, that won't actually work. 

[Lyrima]

But Namae! You make it sound so plausible!

[Trevian]

Well, let's see from high school chemistry acids and alkalais react to form water and some kind of salt.  The common example was hydrochloric acid, HCl, and lye, NaOH.  The H+ radical separates from the Cl- radical in the acid and the Na+ radical separates from the OH- radical and recombine as H₂O and NaCl.

What I had forgotten is that water added to sulfuric acid is extremely exothermic and can cause the water to boil and spit.  Hence the danger at the site if it started raining.

All this and more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfuric_acid

Have at your fun chemistry lesson of the day.

Better living through chemistry