Strong Water

The history, importance, and methods of manufacture of nitric acid.

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Nitric acid, an indispensable chemical component of gunpowder, some fuels, and many fertilizers, is the factual core of this informative and fascinating account. The author describes the history, the importance, and the methods of manufacture of nitric acid, demonstrating how one set of chemical compounds has effected political and economic change and has for centuries stimulated the ingenuity of the scientific community.Selected as one of the fifty outstanding books of the year by "Science Year, The World Book Science Annual 1968."