An+Invisible+Fire

An Invisible Fire

I found this article very interesting as it contained a lot of scientific information as well as a compelling story. An Invisible Fire was about a 37-year-old truck driver who had gotten hydroflouric acid on his hand and had to be treated in the ER. Before reading this article I knew that hydroflouric acid was dangerous. I also knew that chemical burns occur when cells are killed by chemical reactions rather than just heat. Thirdly, I knew that an ion is an atom that has gained or lost on or more electrons. This article also taught me a few things i didn't know. I didn't know that the weaker the acid, the less easily the bond is broken, I assumed it would be the opposite. Also, I didn't know that hydroflouric acid was extremely dangerous, even moreso that sulfuric acid. Thirdly, I didn't know that without sufficient calcium and magnesium, nerves fail and cell membranes collapse. As a side note, it seemed interesting to me that the doctor didn't initially know how to react. If hydroflouric acid is a fairly common stain remover, doesn't this happen relatively often?

Cody,

Looks good! Very thorough. 5 stars. MW