Brønsted acid
Hydrogen ion source
A Brønsted acid is a substance that donates a proton (hydrogen ion) to another substance.
This definition, developed by Danish chemist Johannes Brønsted in 1923, focuses on proton transfer rather than electron behavior.
Hydrochloric acid is a Brønsted acid because it donates H⁺ to water; water itself acts as a Brønsted acid when it donates a proton to ammonia.
The complementary term is Brønsted base, which accepts protons.
- proton donorYields H+ ions
- hydrogen chlorideBinary acid in gaseous form
- pKaAcid dissociation metric
- pH scaleAcidity measurement range
- chemistryStudy of substances' interactions
amphoteric · buffer solution · hydrogen ion · hydrogen bonding · corrosive · vinegar · ionization · citric · electrolyte · catalyst · acidic · buffer · acidity · donor · titration · neutralization · equilibrium · reactive