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superacid

superacid

1 9.6
A very strong acid that can react with things ordinary acids cannot
  • noun
  • /ˈsuːpərˌæsɪd/
  • Specialized
: superácido
  • The chemist experimented with a superacid that could dissolve glass.

Examples

  • When the superacid was added to the solution, it caused an immediate and violent reaction.

  • To create a superacid, you need a combination of specific chemicals that are far more reactive than sulfuric acid.

  • A superacid can dissolve substances that regular acids cannot.

  • Chemists use superacids to study reactions that are impossible with ordinary acids.

  • The laboratory handled the superacid with extreme caution due to its high reactivity.

  • A superacid can protonate even the weakest bases.

  • The chemist used a superacid in the reaction.

Antonyms

16 1.3

Not strong in taste, thin and watery

How Acidic

superacid
  • Specialized
1 9.6
acid
26 4.2
weak
16 1.3

Surface Forms

superacid singular
superacids plural

Morphology

superacid = acid (transparent) = super + acid

The productive intensifying prefix 'super-' plus 'acid' yields 'very strong acid'; formation is semantically clear even if the term is a technical chemistry label.

Etymology

Superacid combines super- ('above' or 'very') and acid ('sour' or 'acid'), so it literally means a very strong acid. Think of it as the 'superhero' of acids: much stronger than normal acids and able to react with things ordinary acids cannot.