Question

What do we mean by concentration with respect to an acid? What is a concentrated acid?

Answer 1

The concentration of an acid depends on the number of acidic particles in the solvent.

Explanation:

An acid such as `HCl` decomposes in aqueous (in water) solution according to the following reaction.....

`HCl(g) stackrel(H_2O)rarrH^+ + Cl^-`

Concentration depends on the number of acidic particles per litre of solution, i.e.

`"Concentration"="Moles of solute (mol)"/"Volume of solution (L)"`, and thus it has the typical units of `mol*L^-1`, where `L^-1=1/L^1=1/L`.

Typically concentrated acids are FORMALLY `>1*mol*L^-1`.

Dilute acids have concentrations `<1*mol*L^-1`. Both strong and weak acids can be concentrated. Again the strength (NOT concentration) of an acid depends on the extent of the given equilibrium.

Is this a bit too abstract? Possibly. If you want to clarify your knowledge/understanding please pin us down for an answer.

Answer 2

See this answer by @Simon Moore:

Explanation:

I think Simon explained it quite well.