Lesson 14.

Acid and Base Theories

General Chemistry 2
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Often, acids and
bases are portrayed
as harmful chemicals
that can cause severe
effects such as
explosions. However,
acids and bases are
more common in
your everyday life
than you think it is.
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Citrus fruits contain an acid called citric acid, which
contributes to their sour taste. Baking soda you use
for cooking is a base.

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How then can you tell
when something is
an acid, a base, or
both? In this lesson,
you will learn
theories that
describe when a
compound is
considered an acid or
a base.
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What are acids and bases
according to the Arrhenius
theory?

5
 Learning Competency
This lesson serves as a prerequisite for the following DepEd competency:

● Define Bronsted acids and bases

(STEM_GC11ABIV-f-g-153).

6
 Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Identify the various theories describing acids and

bases.

● Classify which theories specific samples of acids

and bases belong to.

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 Arrhenius Theory

Describes acids as compounds that release hydrogen

ions (H+) when dissolved in water.

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 Arrhenius Theory

Describes bases as compounds that release hydroxide

ions (OH–) when dissolved in water.

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 Arrhenius Theory

A reaction between Arrhenius acid and base forms water:

In a neutralization reaction, water is formed:

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 Arrhenius Theory

Limitation of Arrhenius Theory

It cannot be applied to acids and bases which do not form

hydrogen or hydroxide ions.

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What are the conditions of a
Brønsted-Lowry acid and base?

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 Brønsted-Lowry Theory

Bronsted-Lowry theory addresses the shortcomings of

Arrhenius theory by having a more general definition of
acids and bases.

● An acid is described as a proton donor.

● A base is described as a proton acceptor.

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 Brønsted-Lowry Theory

Consider the reaction:

● Water donates a hydrogen ion, or a proton, to

ammonia, making it a base.

● NH3 then accepts this proton to form an ammonium

ion

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Brønsted-Lowry Theory

The pair of species in the reactants and products are

called conjugates.

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 Brønsted-Lowry Theory

In the NH3/NH4+ pair:

● NH3 is called the conjugate base
● NH4+ is called the conjugate acid

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 Brønsted-Lowry Theory

In the H2O/OH- pair:

● H2O is the conjugate acid
● OH- is the conjugate base

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Remember

To easily remember Arrhenius and

Bronsted-Lowry definitions of acids and
bases, refer to the table below.
Definition Acid Bases

Arrhenius Releases H+ ions Releases OH- ions

Bronsted-Lowry H+ donor H+ acceptor

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When can a compound be
considered as a Lewis acid or
base?

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 Lewis Theory

Lewis Theory of Acids and Bases

● A more general theory that does not limit the concept
of acids and bases to hydrogen ions.

● Described acids as electron-pair acceptors and bases

as electron-pair donors.

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 Lewis Theory

Consider the reaction between ammonia and boron

trifluoride.

Nitrogen from NH3 donates an electron pair to the

boron atom of BF3

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 Lewis Theory

Consider the reaction between ammonia and boron

trifluoride.

Therefore,
● BF3 is a Lewis acid
● NH3 is a Lewis base

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 Lewis Theory

Consider the reaction between ammonia and boron

trifluoride.

The product formed by the reaction between a lewis acid

and a lewis base is called an adduct.

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 Lewis Theory

● The Lewis theory of acids and bases can also be

extended to Arrhenius and Brønsted-Lowry acids and
bases with some technical differences.

● The Lewis theory of acids and bases considers the

solvents for not only acids and bases but also those
compounds which do not require a solvent to react.

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 Lewis Theory

For example, hydrochloric acid:

● HCl is not considered as Lewis acid.

○ Upon dissociation, it becomes a Lewis acid as H+ is
formed.

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 Lewis Theory

● HCl does not directly react with a base.

○ Upon dissolution, H+ can react with OH-.
○ Oxygen atom on OH- donates an electron pair to H+
to form water.

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Tips
To quickly identify a Lewis acid, always
look for an electron-deficient atom since
these types of atoms can readily accept
an electron pair. These are usually metals,
especially Group I and II metals, and the
d-block metals. Similarly, Lewis bases are
usually rich in electron pairs. These are
usually nonmetals especially Group V, VI,
and VII elements. 27
What are the general
descriptions of an acid? How
about a base?

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 Check Your Understanding

Write true if the statement is correct. Otherwise,

write false.

1. NH3 is a base according to Arrhenius theory.

2. Acids produce H+ ions according to Arrhenius theory.

3. BF3 is an example of a Brønsted-Lowry acid.

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 Check Your Understanding

Classify each of the following as either Brønsted-Lowry

acids or bases.

1. HNO3

2. ClO4-

3. NH4+

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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Arrhenius theory of acids and bases states that acids

form H+ ions while bases form OH- ions in solution.

● Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases states that

acids are proton donors while bases are proton
donors.

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 Let’s Sum It Up!

● Upon a neutralization reaction, a Brønsted-Lowry

acid will form a conjugate base while a Brønsted-
Lowry base will form a conjugate acid.

● Lewis theory of acids and bases states that acids

are electron-pair acceptors while bases are
electron-pair donors.

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Challenge Yourself

Consider the following reaction of an

indicator below.

H2CO3 (aq) + H2O (l) ↔ HCO3- (aq) + H3O+

(aq)
HCO3- (aq) + H2O (l) ↔ CO32- (aq) + H3O+
(aq)

Identify all the acids in all reactions. 33

Bibliography

Brown, Theodore L. Chemistry: The Central Science, 11th ed. Singapore: Pearson Education (Asia) Pte Ltd.,
2004.

Chang, Raymond. Chemistry, 10th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.

Petrucci, Ralph H. General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications. Toronto, Ont.: Pearson Canada,
2011.

Silberberg, Martin S. Chemistry: The Molecular Nature of Matter and Change, 5th ed. New York: McGraw-
Hill, 2009.

Whitten, Kenneth W. Chemistry, 10th ed. Boston: Cengage Learning, 2013.

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