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It means that when you add an acid to water, for instance hydrochloric acid, or HCl, it will break apart into two ions H+ and Cl-. The H+ is the hydrogen ion. The H+ released is the "active" ingredient in an acid. On the other hand, when you add a base to water, it doesn't release H+, but rather it takes H+ that is already in the solution and bonds to it. The most common way this happens is with the hydroxide ion, or OH-. For instance, if you have the base potassium hydroxide, KOH, and you add it to water, it will form the ions K+ and OH-. The OH- will very quickly react with any H+ in the solution and when that happens, you form water: H+ + OH- --> H2O So acids give off H+ into the water, and bases remove it. A simple analogy is a sponge. Acids are like wet sponges -- when you squeeze it the liquid comes out. Bases are like dry sponges -- when you put water on it, it soaks it up. Note: there are other more complete definitions of acids and bases that don't involve H+ at all. In fact, it is more accurate to say that an base is a species that donates electron pairs, and an acid is a species that accepts electron pairs. This definition, while much more complete, is somewhat harder to explain on a simple level however.

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Related Questions

What ion do acids donate?

Acids donate hydrogen ions (H+).


Do acids lose or gain hydrogen ions?

Acids lose hydrogen ions when they donate them in a chemical reaction, making them stronger acids.


What are qualities of acids?

Hydrogen ions, accept or donate


What class of compounds donate hydrogen ions?

acids


What kind of ion does acids donate?

Acids donates protons in the reaction.Simply protons are H+ ions.


Do acids or bases have stronger concentrations of H ions?

Acids- they donate hydrogen ions to bases, which then become molecules.


Is H2 an acid?

No, H2 (diatomic hydrogen) is not an acid. Acids are substances that donate hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution, while hydrogen gas (H2) does not donate hydrogen ions in this way.


Do acids release hydrogen ions?

yes they do and bases release hydroxide ions


Which ion is furnished by acids in of agueous solution?

Acids in aqueous solution furnish hydrogen ions (H+). This is why acids are often referred to as proton donors, as they donate H+ ions to the solution.


What type of ion is formed when acids are mixed with water?

When acids are mixed with water, they form hydrogen ions (H+). This is because acids donate protons to water molecules, resulting in the release of H+ ions.


What types of ions do acids release?

Acids release hydrogen ions (H+) when they dissolve in water. These hydrogen ions are responsible for the acidic properties of the solution, such as low pH and the ability to donate protons in reactions.


Do bases release or accept hydrogen ions?

Bases accept hydrogen ions, which results in the formation of hydroxide ions when dissolved in water. This reaction helps in neutralizing acids and results in an increase in the pH level of the solution.