10 Uses of Acetic Acid in Our Daily Life – Types – Substance

In our daily life, we often deal with chemical compounds. Chemical compounds are differentiated by their PH levels, which are acid and alkaline.

The characteristic of acid:

  • Delivers electricity
  • Has a sour taste
  • The PH is below 7
  • Turn the blue litmus paper into red
  • React with metal creates hydrogen

Also read: Acid Solution Examples in Daily Life

Uses of acetic acid in our daily life and examples 

When we consume citrus fruits we will find citric acid along with ascorbic acid, when we consume cheese we will encounter lactic acid, even when our vehicle crash can be caused by sulfuric acid which is in motor vehicle battery and many more examples. Examples of acetic acid in daily life will be discussed a little more deeply.

1. Cyanide Acid

Cyanide acid (HCN) is a chemical compound that we can find in gadung. Gadung is a kind of tubers which can be processed into gadung chips. Absolutely, when gadung is processed into chips, the cyanide acid has been removed in order to make gadung chips can be consumed safely. Also read: Types of Cyanide

2. Vinegar acid (CH3COOH)

Vinegar acid (CH3COOH) is a chemical compound that serves as food flavoring or acid flavoring in foods, so we often encounter this acid weak acid when eating at a meatball stall or meatball seller. Not only as a food seasoning, vinegar also had benefit to health such as preventing osteoporosis, because vinegar helps the bone to absorb calcium better. But one thing to remember, do not consume vinegar excessively, because it can result in the opposite. Also read: List of Weak Electrolyte Examples

3. Carbonic acid

When sun shines so bright and the weather is hot, we definitely will look for something fresh to drink, for example carbonated beverages. In carbonated beverages that we drink there is carbonic acid in it which gives a fresh sensation.

Not only that, along September until December, almost in the entire of Indonesia’s territory watered by the rain almost every single day even causes flood. The rain water consists of carbonic acid (H2CO3). Also read: Acid in Water Reaction

4. Citric Acid

We have known that orange has vitamin C (ascorbat acid) which also consists of citric acid which has many functions, usefulness, and benefits.

Citric acid can be used to remove stain and brighten clothes like in citron. Citric acid can also be used in manufacture of skin care, such as the manufacture of bath bomb by mixing it with sodium bicarbonat.

5. Sulfuric Acid

Sulfuric acid can be categorized as strong acid which is very corrosive. One drop of sulfuric acid can make our skin get hole. This acid can be easily found even tough in not original form like in the vehicle battery. The vehicle battery can be divided based on their materials which are dry vehicle battery and wet vehicle battery. On wet vehicle battery, the battery cells are immersed in the battery solution, while on dry vehicle battery the battery cell is immersed in the battery gel. 

6. Sodium Hydroxide

Every day, we must clean up ourselves with taking a bath. But the water is not enough to cleanse our body, so that we need soap to keep our body clean from germs and smell nice. The soap that we use has main ingredients of sodium hydroxide. Sodium hydroxide also exists on another cleansing agent like floor cleaning agents, detergent, and many more. Also read: Calcium Hydroxide Uses in Food

7. Magnesium Hydroxide

Magnesium Hydroxide is the compound which is generalized to neutralize gastric acid or  norit/antacid. The ulcer happens because high stomach acid because of stress, food which is not chewed well, eating too fast and etc. When gastric acid meets mucosal nerves in the gastrointestinal tract that nerves will send pain signal to our brain, and from that we know that our gastric acid is high. The symptoms can also be shortness of breath, diarrhea, and etc.

8. Lactic Acid

Almost of us must like pizza, typical Italian cuisine. With the spread of tomato sauce and sprinkles of meat and also melted cheese will be very tempting. The cheeses that garnish and give nice appetite contain lactic acid. Lactic acid can be produced by Lactobacillus bulgaricus bacteria which produce lactic acid which serves to preserve milk and degrade lactose so it is safe to be consumed by people allergic to milk.

Beside milk, our body also produce lactic acid, this acid which also make our body become tired when we do exercise or do hard job. When we experience lack of oxygen to support energy which is needed, our muscle cells will produce lactic acid. It is also happened that when there is a high demand of energy. For example, whean a people are casually walking or jogging then finally pursued by the ferocious dog.

9. Formic Acid

Bees are the insects that give much benefit not just to human but also to environment. Bees help natural pollination to plan. Bees also produces yummy honey that consist good nutrition for human’s health, even honey can be used as medicine. Not only honey, the sting of bees consists of formic acid which is often found of bee sting therapy. Bee sting therapy is believed can cure various diseases like joint pain, muscle aches, diabetes, gout, cholesterol rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, skleroderma, multiple sclerosis and much more. Also read: List of Weak Electrolyte Examples

Bee thing therapy also called by apitherapy. This therapy has ever tried in ancient medication when Hypocrates use it as arthritis medication. Bees that are often used in this therapy are honey bees. In one session of medication, it needs 20-40 honey bees. Bees are hold by tweezers and placed on certain part of body for 10-15 minutes. To decrease the pain of honey bee sting, the therapist will put ice block in skin area that was stung at until the therapy is finished.

10. Benzoic acid

When we look at the composition which is listed on snack pack, we often notice that there is composition of benzoic acid in it, because benzoic acid can make snack keep tasteful and crunchy to the hands of consumers. Not only just to make food stay fresh, benzoic acid also present in cosmetics, as coloring element and etc.

Both organic and inorganic chemical compounds, whole acid and alkaline exist for a purpose, every acid and alkaline compounds have their own characteristic and also advantages and disadvantages. To sum up, that’s all uses of acetic acid in our daily life.