Hey, chemists!

[swan_tower]

How would you describe the smell of acid? Does it have a smell? (Any kind of acid will do; I'm looking for commonalities here.)

Comments

[malsperanza.livejournal.com]

As a printmaker I've worked with hydrochloric, sulfuric, and nitric acid, and each has a different smell. (Just as citric acid and vinegar don't smell alike.)

Sulfuric acid smells like sulfur--rotten eggs.

Nitric acid smells sort of musty, a bit like fallen leaves, or some kind of mud, almost nutty.

Hydrochloric acid smells more metallic and chemical than the other two; like a much fainter version of chlorine. Its smell isn't very strong, even at high concentrations.