A highly corrosive, colorless, and oily mineral acid with the chemical formula H₂SO₄. It is one of the most important industrial chemicals and is used in many industrial processes.
example
Beim Umgang mit Schwefelsäure im Labor ist das Tragen von Schutzbrille und Handschuhen zwingend erforderlich.
When handling sulfuric acid in the laboratory, wearing safety goggles and gloves is absolutely required.
Usage tips
Compound word
The word is composed of 'der Schwefel' (sulfur), the linking s, and 'die Säure' (acid). So it literally means 'acid of sulfur', which directly describes the chemical composition.
EXAMPLE
Schwefelsäure ist eine der meistproduzierten Chemikalien der Welt.
Sulfuric acid is one of the most widely produced chemicals in the world.
Register and context
'Schwefelsäure' (sulfuric acid) is a technical term from chemistry and industry. In everyday life, you will only hear this word when the topic is safety instructions or scientific subjects.
EXAMPLE
Der Lehrer erklärte die Gefahren von konzentrierter Schwefelsäure.
The teacher explained the dangers of concentrated sulfuric acid.
Typical collocations
'Schwefelsäure' (sulfuric acid) is frequently used with adjectives such as 'konzentriert' (concentrated) or 'verdünnt' (diluted). A typical combination with a verb is 'der Umgang mit Schwefelsäure' (handling sulfuric acid).
EXAMPLE
Für dieses Experiment benötigen wir verdünnte Schwefelsäure.
For this experiment, we need diluted sulfuric acid.