Experiments have now revealed just how a molecule of acid dissolves in water, strengthening scientists’ fundamental understanding of this common chemical process. The results give other researchers a new tool for studying complicated chemical reactions, such as those that occur during the depletion of Earth’s protective ozone layer.
To examine molecules of acid and water as they interact, A. Welford Castleman Jr. of Pennsylvania State University in State College and his coworkers introduced molecules of a simple acid, hydrogen bromide, into a vacuum chamber and then injected water vapor. Using a type of spectroscopy that employs fast pulses of laser light, the researchers watched the chemical process unfold.
