Sulfuric acid
H2O4S98.08 g/mol Calculated
Also called battery acid, hydrogen sulfate, oil of vitriol and vitriolic acid.
The acid in a car battery, so thirsty for water that it chars sugar and paper on contact: it pulls their hydrogen and oxygen out as water and leaves black carbon behind.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on Wikidata.
- Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
- 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
- 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.
Where you encounter it
Sulfuric acid on the product labels we hold.
Medicines
Every product and list we hold
Sources and notes
- The product labels and their strengthsfrom sourceDailyMed (FDA label)Each label lists the molecule as an ingredient, and an active ingredient at the strength shown.
- How it gets therefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach mark is set by hand on our lists, never inferred; a label's ingredient is added by the maker. A row with no mark data says Not marked.
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- H2O4S
- Molecular weight
- 98.08 g/mol
- XLogP3octanol/water, log units
- −1.4
- Polar surface areatopological
- 83 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 2
- H-bond acceptors
- 4
- Rotatable bonds
- 0
- Complexity
- 81
Measured LD50, HSDB via PubChem
2,140 mg/kg pure sulfuric acid, rat, oral
An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person.
Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem
Danger Corrosive pictogram (GHS05); hazard statements H290, H314, H318
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Everyday chemistry
- Family
- Inorganic compounds
- Elements
- Sulfur
- Hazard classes
- Corrosive, GHS Danger
- Size
- Under 100 g/mol
SMILES
OS(=O)(=O)OPubChem CID 1118 · Wikidata Q4118 · InChIKey QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N · Data refreshed
Questions
- What is Sulfuric acid?
- The acid in a car battery, so thirsty for water that it chars sugar and paper on contact: it pulls their hydrogen and oxygen out as water and leaves black carbon behind.
- How toxic is Sulfuric acid?
- The reported LD50 of Sulfuric acid is 2,140 mg/kg (rat, oral). An LD50 is an animal study measurement, not a dose for a person. Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Danger and the hazard pictogram Corrosive. from sourcefrom source
- What kind of molecule is Sulfuric acid?
- Sulfuric acid has the formula H2O4S and a molecular weight of 98.08 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under inorganic compounds, in the everyday chemistry group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- What else is Sulfuric acid called?
- Sulfuric acid is also called battery acid, hydrogen sulfate, oil of vitriol and vitriolic acid. from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09