Sulfuric acid is a clear, oily mineral acid that has a boiling point of approximately 554°F (290°C). It is made from the mineral sulfur. More than eighty percent of all sulfur produced is used to make sulfuric acid. Because of the acid's strength and high boiling point, it is useful in making other acids. Sulfuric acid alone dissolves many metals; in combination with hydrochloric acid (a mixture called aqua regia), it can even dissolve gold and platinum. Diluting sulfuric acid with water can be dangerous because the reaction releases a lot of heat. To prevent explosive spattering, the acid must be added to the water, rather than the other way around.

Scientists probably learned to make sulfuric acid some time after the year 1000. Around 1300, sulfuric acid was first described by alchemists. The alchemists called sulfuric acid oil of vitriol, a reference to its corrosive...