Learning that acids can be dangerous, Divya says bases must be safe, since they are the opposite…

Why

Divya has taken 'opposite on the acid-base scale' and assumed it also means 'opposite in danger' — if acids are the harsh ones, bases must be the gentle ones. But the scale does not work that way. Both ends of it are harsh, and the mild region is the NEUTRAL middle, not the basic end. Strong bases like caustic soda (used in drain cleaners and to make soap) are severely corrosive — they burn skin and eyes, and actually tend to eat into tissue more deeply than acids do. Test it: a bottle of drain cleaner carries the same danger warnings as a strong acid, and for the same reason. Her father is right: strong bases are corrosive and dangerous, just like strong acids — being 'opposite' on the scale does not make a base safe; the safe region is the neutral middle.