A really random and stupid chemistry question

[Twinkles6892]

How do bases burn you? There was a thread about a little baby eating ammonia, which is a base, I know that acid's are acidic, which burn, but how do bases burn you?

Yeah, I know I'm a loser.

I <3 Sigma.

 

[damo]

Acids and bases are corrosive.

 

[mudnuri]

on a PH scale, it runs from zero to 14

the lower the number the more acidic, the higher, the higher base

your body is 7.6, so a 14, being a base, is still caustic to your neutral body...

does that make any sense???

Brandy

 

[Twinkles6892]

on a PH scale, it runs from zero to 14

the lower the number the more acidic, the higher, the higher base

your body is 7.6, so a 14, being a base, is still caustic to your neutral body...

does that make any sense???

Brandy

I think I get it, if something strays too far from the normal pH in any living thing, it becomes harmful because the buffer system can't deal with it?

 

[mudnuri]

I think I get it, if something strays too far from the normal pH in any living thing, it becomes harmful because the buffer system can't deal with it?

to put it in laymans terms yes. Water has a PH of 7.4, so amonia, has a higher number, same as lye. Anything soapy....sweet smelling...

Anytime your body is in contact with anything other than a 7.4-7.8 you will notice a difference, either it will be a acidic burn, or a burn such as ammonia when you inhale it...

Brandy

 

[bicker]

Hmmm... I was curious about this and went digging. I found this:

And remember, a base burn can also occur. My chemistry mentor has a half-dollar sized burn from Sodium Hydroxide on his foot that's very sickening to look at. A base burn is potentially more dangerous than an acid burn because bases do not trigger your nerves to sense pain when it comes in contact. You could have a base burn on your back and not know about it for days because you would never feel the pain.

Not feel the pain? Hmmm.... Maybe we're missing something?

http://www.biology-online.org/biology-forum/about143.html

 

[tkd lisa]

Digging way back to my high school chemistry class, I seem to recall that bases react to skin by pulling water out of the cells? So it's a burn, but not the same type of burn as an acid.

I did know someone who got a very very bad burn while he was laying some cement at his house. He had been kneeling on it while he was smoothing it out, and the cement actually ate into the skin of his knees through his jeans. It was truly gross!