History Main / HollyWoodAcid

-->"It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that's the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and [[BreadEggsMilkSquick test engineers]], not to mention asbestos, sand, and water — with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals — steel, copper, aluminium, etc. — because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes."

* [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheSimpsons Ze Googles! Dey do nothing!"]]

In films, on TV, and in comic books, an "acid" is any liquid that can eat away at and completely dissolve skin and muscle, [[StrippedToTheBone leaving only bone]] and sometimes not even that. Even stronger "acids" will melt steel, glass, plastic, concrete, and ultimately everything it comes in contact with. Such liquids are almost always either a [[TechnicolorScience sickly green or sickly yellow]] color. They bubble and fizz on the counter or floor when you spill them, give off visible, smoky fumes, and they never dissipate. If a drop of acid eats through the floor, it will continue to eat through things on the next level down, and so on. Tends to cause FridgeLogic when you start wondering how a simple beaker could hold it before it was spilled.

-->"It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that's the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and [[BreadEggMilkSquick test engineers]], not to mention asbestos, sand, and water — with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals — steel, copper, aluminium, etc. — because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes."

-->"It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that's the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water — with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals — steel, copper, aluminium, etc. — because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes."

** ->"It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that's the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water — with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals — steel, copper, aluminium, etc. — because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes."

->"It is, of course, extremely toxic, but that's the least of the problem. It is hypergolic with every known fuel, and so rapidly hypergolic that no ignition delay has ever been measured. It is also hypergolic with such things as cloth, wood, and test engineers, not to mention asbestos, sand, and water — with which it reacts explosively. It can be kept in some of the ordinary structural metals — steel, copper, aluminium, etc. — because of the formation of a thin film of insoluble metal fluoride which protects the bulk of the metal, just as the invisible coat of oxide on aluminium keeps it from burning up in the atmosphere. If, however, this coat is melted or scrubbed off, and has no chance to reform, the operator is confronted with the problem of coping with a metal-fluorine fire. For dealing with this situation, I have always recommended a good pair of running shoes."

A {{subtrope}} of HollywoodScience.

Compare PoisonIsCorrosive, AcidPool (when this is applied to a DeathTrap).

Has nothing to do with [[MarijuanaIsLSD that other kind of acid]].

See also PoisonIsCorrosive and AcidPool for when this is applied to a DeathTrap. A {{subtrope}} of HollywoodScience. Has nothing to do with [[MarijuanaIsLSD that other kind of acid]].

* ''{{Superman}} III'' featured "beltric acid," which became super-corrosive if it heated up far enough. It ends up as a ChekhovsGun in the final fight against the rogue computer.

In films, on TV, and in comic books, an "acid" is any liquid that can eat away at and completely dissolve skin and muscle, [[StrippedToTheBone leaving only bone]] and sometimes not even that. Even stronger "acids" will melt steel, glass, plastic, concrete, and ultimately everything it comes in contact with. Such liquids are almost always either a [[TechnicolorScience sickly green or sickly yellow]] color. They bubble and fizz on the counter or floor when you spill them, give off visible, smoky fumes, and they never dissipate . If a drop of acid eats through the floor, it will continue to eat through things on the next level down, and so on. Tends to cause FridgeLogic when you start wondering how a simple beaker could hold it before it was spilled.

* ''{{Superman}} III'' featured "beltric acid," which became super-corrosive if it heated up far enough. It ends up as a ChekovsGun in the final fight against the rogue computer.

* Two DonaldDuck stories by DonRosa involved a liquid called "The Universal Solvent". It was capable of dissolving pretty much anything -- except diamonds. In real life, unless you're an alchemist, the term 'Universal Solvent' usually refers to ''water''...

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_trifluoride Chlorine trifluoride]] - not technically an acid, but it burns through flesh, glass, rock and concrete like nobody's business. When mixed with water it explodes and forms hydrochloric and hydrofluroic acids as ''byproducts''. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Too nasty]] even for ThoseWackyNazis.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine_trifluoride Chlorine trifluoride]] - not technically an acid, but it burns through flesh, glass, rock and concrete like nobody's business. When mixed with water it explodes and forms hydrochloric and hydrofluroic acids as ''byproducts''. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Too nasty]] even for ThoseNastyNazis.

* ''{{Superman}} III'' featured "beltric acid," which became super-corrosive if it heated up far enough. It ends up as a [[ChekovsGun]] in the final fight against the rogue computer.

* ''{{Superman}} III'' featured "beltric acid," which became super-corrosive if it heated up far enough.

* The blood of the xenomorphs in ''{{Alien}}'' and its sequels is made of a "concentrated molecular acid" (sic) that can eat through a starship's hull but not through the body of the xenomorph itself, the xenomorph being SiliconBasedLife.

In films, on TV, and in comic books, an "acid" is any liquid that can eat away at and completely dissolve skin and muscle, [[StrippedToTheBone leaving only bone]] and sometimes not even that. Even stronger "acids" will melt steel, glass, plastic, concrete, and ultimately everything it comes in contact with. Such liquids are almost always either a [[TechnicolorScience sickly green or sickly yellow]] color. They bubble and fizz on the counter or floor when you spill them, give off visible, smoky fumes, and they never dissipate . If a drop of acid eats through the floor, it will continue to eat through things on the next level down, and so on.