sulfurous acid

American

noun

Chemistry.

a colorless liquid, H 2 SO 3 , having a suffocating odor, obtained by dissolving sulfur dioxide in water, known mainly by its salts, which are sulfites: used chiefly in organic synthesis and as a bleach.

sulfurous acid Scientific

A colorless solution of sulfur dioxide in water, characterized by a suffocating sulfurous odor. It is used as a bleaching agent, preservative, and disinfectant. Chemical formula: H ₂ SO ₃ .

Etymology

Origin of sulfurous acid

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Like other diprotic acids, sulfurous acid ionizes in two steps: The hydrogen sulfite ion, and the sulfite ion, form.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Heating a solution of sulfurous acid expels the sulfur dioxide.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Sulfur dioxide dissolves in water to form a solution of sulfurous acid, as expected for the oxide of a nonmetal.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Which is a stronger acid, sulfurous acid or sulfuric acid?

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

When sulfur is burned, a gas is formed known as sulfurous acid, and until the last few years, it was the most common of all disinfecting agencies.

From Rural Hygiene by Ogden, Henry N. (Henry Neely)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023