Acid-Base Theories and Equilibria Learning Path

Acid–base reaction definition and neutralization

An acid–base reaction is a chemical reaction between an acid and a base. It is commonly used to determine acidity/basicity (for example, by titration). Multiple acid–base theories explain what counts as an acid or base and how the reaction proceeds: Arrhenius focuses on ions in water (acids increase H+ / hydronium concentration; bases increase OH−), Brønsted–Lowry treats acids as proton donors and bases as proton acceptors (forming conjugate acid/base pairs), and Lewis defines acids as electron-pair acceptors and bases as electron-pair donors (broadest definition). These frameworks are complementary and help explain acid–base behavior in aqueous and non-aqueous systems. Neutralization is a specific type of acid–base reaction where an acid reacts with a base to form salt and water. In the traditional aqueous representation, it can be written as acid + base → salt + water, and the net ionic process is often simplified to H+ + OH− → H2O (spectator ions omitted). For strong acid–strong base pairs, the reaction is essentially quantitative, while weak acids or weak bases lead to equilibrium mixtures and buffer behavior rather than complete neutralization.

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Historic development of acid–base concepts

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