Foundation reading 16 of 17 · ~6 min
Recognize acids and bases
Your goal: Identify the proton donor, proton acceptor and corresponding conjugate pairs.
A focused reading from Acid-Base Neutralization and Proton Transfer. Reading time is a Chem Help estimate.
Optional prerequisite review
Review if useful. These suggestions never lock a step.
Proton transfer, not just pH
The Bronsted-Lowry definition is deliberately simple: an acid donates H⁺, a base accepts it. Because a hydrogen ion is just a bare proton, the whole of acid-base chemistry becomes bookkeeping about where that proton goes.
Nothing else needs to change for a reaction to count as acid-base.
HA + B → A⁻ + HB⁺
Conjugate pairs
When an acid gives up its proton, what remains is its conjugate base. When a base accepts a proton, the result is its conjugate acid. Members of a pair always differ by exactly one H and one unit of charge.
HCl and Cl⁻ are a pair; H₂O and OH⁻ are a pair; H₂O and H₃O⁺ are also a pair, which is why water appears on both sides of so many equations.
Sources and further reading
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