Chemistry S & P Block Elements DUHS 2024
PMDC Verified Question 16 of 104
Oil of Vitriol refer to:
A
Caustic soda
B
Borax
C
Alum
D
Sulfuric acid
Tap any option to test your recall and reveal the step-by-step Propolis autopsy.

Propolis Cognitive Error Autopsy

Official Correct Choice:
Option D: Sulfuric acid
Concept:

Historical alchemy assigned common names to chemicals based on their appearance or how they were derived. These trivial names are still occasionally referenced in chemistry.

Solution:

  • In the past, scientists distilled green vitriol (iron(II) sulfate) to produce a highly corrosive, dense, viscous liquid that looked like oil.
  • Because it was derived from a "vitriol" mineral and had a slippery, oily texture, it was historically named "Oil of Vitriol".
  • Today, we know the chemical formula of this substance is \( \text{H}_2\text{SO}_4 \), which is the modern chemical Sulfuric acid.


Why other options are incorrect:

  • Caustic soda: Trivial name for Sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
  • Borax: Trivial name for Sodium tetraborate.
  • Alum: Refers to a class of hydrated double sulfate salts (usually containing aluminum).

Quality & Fidelity Assurance: Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.

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