Real acid and glass
Labs keep many acids in glass bottles because glass reacts with very few acids. It is not immune to all of them, though: the rare acids that attack glass (such as hydrofluoric acid) are stored in plastic. So neither "acid dissolves everything" nor "glass resists everything" is quite right.
The game’s acid rules
In Sandlab 1.0, acid dissolves solids and powders touching it above, below or to the side, by chance, and about half the time the acid is used up in the process.
| Group | Elements |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | Sand, Wood, Ice, Gunpowder, Salt, Plant, Metal, Snow, Concrete, Coal, Ash, Seed |
| Not dissolved (solids) | Stone, Glass |
| No reaction (liquids, gases) | Water, Oil, Lava, Slime, Fire, Smoke, Steam |
The trap is that metal dissolves too: put acid next to a metal wire in a spark circuit and the wire breaks. Acid is set lighter than water, so if you pour both it collects on top of the water.
Containing acid
The Tube preset
Open More → Wall presets → Tube and a tall, narrow container is drawn in Glass. Acid poured into it will not leak. The Cup, Funnel and Hourglass presets are drawn in stone, so they hold acid too.
Dissolving test
Layer sand, salt and bits of wood inside the tube, then drip acid from above. Watch which layer disappears first and how much acid is left. Since acid gets used up as it dissolves, you need plenty to reach the bottom.
Vinegar test
At home, skip dangerous acids: vinegar is enough. Soak pieces of eggshell or a raw egg in vinegar and tiny bubbles rise as the shell gets thinner, because the shell’s main ingredient (calcium carbonate) reacts with the acid in vinegar and releases gas. A glass will not dissolve in vinegar, so using a glass shows the same idea as the game’s test tube.
FAQ
Does mixing acid and water dilute it in the game?
No. They do not mix; they form layers by density. There is no rule where water weakens acid.
Does acid dissolve lava?
Lava is a liquid, so acid does not react with it.
Sandlab - Falling Sand Physics
No sign-up, and the simulation runs fully offline. Your canvases stay on your device. Free on Android.