noun
silicic acid
Chemistry term for a family of silicon-oxygen-hydrogen compounds.
ケイ酸は水に溶けにくい。
Silicic acid is poorly soluble in water.
noun
Colloquial use; in strict chemistry, silica is 二酸化ケイ素, but ケイ酸 is often used loosely for silica gel or silica in everyday contexts.
See also: 二酸化ケイ素
乾燥剤にケイ酸が使われている。
Silica is used as a desiccant.
The precise chemical term for silicon dioxide (SiO₂); ケイ酸 is sometimes used colloquially for the same substance.
From ケイ (silicon) + 酸 (acid). The kanji 珪 and 硅 are older or variant characters for silicon.