BrønstedinLowryin

Brønsted-Lowry theory provides a fundamental definition of acids and bases. It was independently proposed by Johannes Nicolaus Brønsted and Thomas Martin Lowry in 1923. According to this theory, an acid is a proton (H+) donor, and a base is a proton (H+) acceptor. This concept is a refinement of the earlier Arrhenius theory, which defined acids as substances that produce hydrogen ions in water and bases as substances that produce hydroxide ions in water.

The Brønsted-Lowry definition is broader because it does not require the presence of water. When an acid donates a proton, it forms a conjugate base. Conversely, when a base accepts a proton, it forms a conjugate acid. This relationship is often represented in chemical equations. For example, in the reaction of hydrochloric acid (HCl) with ammonia (NH3), HCl acts as a Brønsted-Lowry acid by donating a proton to NH3, which acts as a Brønsted-Lowry base. This results in the formation of chloride ion (Cl-) as the conjugate base of HCl and the ammonium ion (NH4+) as the conjugate acid of NH3. The theory also explains amphoteric substances, which can act as either acids or bases depending on the reaction.