Acid vs. Base — What's the Difference?

A substance with particular chemical properties including turning litmus red, neutralizing alkalis, and dissolving some metals; typically, a corrosive or sour-tasting liquid of this kind.

The lowest part or edge of something, especially the part on which it rests or is supported

A molecule or other species which can donate a proton or accept an electron pair in reactions.

A conceptual structure or entity on which something draws or depends

Sharp-tasting or sour

A place used as a centre of operations by the armed forces or others; a headquarters

A substance that donates protons.

A main or important element or ingredient to which other things are added

A corrosive substance that can release hydrogen ions.

A substance capable of reacting with an acid to form a salt and water, or (more broadly) of accepting or neutralizing hydrogen ions.

An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e., hydrogen ion, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid, or, capable of forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis acid.The first category of acids are the proton donors, or Brønsted–Lowry acids. In the special case of aqueous solutions, proton donors form the hydronium ion H3O+ and are known as Arrhenius acids.

A compound that turns red litmus paper blue.

The drug LSD

A substance that can neutralize acids.

Containing acid or having the properties of an acid; having a pH of less than 7.

A key player in maintaining pH balance.

(of rock, especially lava) containing a relatively high proportion of silica

The middle part of a bipolar transistor, separating the emitter from the collector.

Any of a class of substances whose aqueous solutions are characterized by a sour taste, the ability to turn blue litmus red, and the ability to react with bases and certain metals to form salts.

The root or stem of a word or a derivative.

A substance that yields hydrogen ions when dissolved in water.

A number used as the basis of a numeration scale.

A substance that can act as a proton donor.

Each of the four stations that must be reached in turn to score a run.

A substance that can accept a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond.

Use (something specified) as the foundation or starting point for something

A substance having a sour taste.

Situate at a specified place as the centre of operations

The quality of being sarcastic, bitter, or scornful

Without moral principles; ignoble

(Slang) See LSD1.

Denoting or befitting a person of low social class.

Of, relating to, or containing an acid.

(of coins or other articles) not made of precious metal

Having a high concentration of acid.

The lowest or bottom part

Having the characteristics of an acid.

The part of a plant or animal organ that is nearest to its point of attachment.

Having a pH of less than 7.

The point of attachment of such an organ.

Having a relatively high concentration of hydrogen ions.

A supporting part or layer; a foundation

(Geology) Containing a large proportion of silica

A basic or underlying element; infrastructure

Having a sour taste.

The fundamental principle or underlying concept of a system or theory; a basis.

Biting, sarcastic, or scornful

A fundamental ingredient; a chief constituent

Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar.

The fact, observation, or premise from which a reasoning process is begun.

(figuratively) Sour-tempered.

(Games) A starting point, safety area, or goal.

Of or pertaining to an acid; acidic.

(Baseball) Any one of the four corners of an infield, marked by a bag or plate, that must be touched by a runner before a run can be scored.

(music) Denoting a musical genre that is a distortion (as if hallucinogenic) of an existing genre, as in acid house, acid jazz, acid rock.

A center of organization, supply, or activity; a headquarters.

A sour substance.

The portion of a social organization, especially a political party, consisting of the most dedicated or motivated members.

(chemistry)

A fortified center of operations.

Any compound which yields H+ ions (protons) when dissolved in water; an Arrhenius acid.

A supply center for a large force of military personnel.

Any compound that easily donates protons to a base; a Brønsted acid.

A facial cosmetic used to even out the complexion or provide a surface for other makeup; a foundation.

Any compound that can accept a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond; a Lewis acid.

(Architecture) The lowest part of a structure, such as a wall, considered as a separate unit

Any corrosive substance.

(Heraldry) The lower part of a shield.

LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide.

(Linguistics) A morpheme or morphemes regarded as a form to which affixes or other bases may be added.

Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as, acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour-tempered.

The side or face of a geometric figure to which an altitude is or is thought to be drawn.

Of or pertaining to an acid; as, acid reaction.

The number that is raised to various powers to generate the principal counting units of a number system. The base of the decimal system, for example, is 10.

A sour substance.

The number raised to the logarithm of a designated number in order to produce that designated number; the number at which a chosen logarithmic scale has the value 1.

One of a class of compounds, generally but not always distinguished by their sour taste, solubility in water, and reddening of vegetable blue or violet colors. They are also characterized by the power of destroying the distinctive properties of alkalies or bases, combining with them to form salts, at the same time losing their own peculiar properties. They all contain hydrogen, united with a more negative element or radical, either alone, or more generally with oxygen, and take their names from this negative element or radical. Those which contain no oxygen are sometimes called hydracids in distinction from the others which are called oxygen acids or oxacids.

A line used as a reference for measurement or computations.

Any of various water-soluble compounds having a sour taste and capable of turning litmus red and reacting with a base to form a salt

Any of a class of compounds whose aqueous solutions are characterized by a bitter taste, a slippery feel, the ability to turn litmus blue, and the ability to react with acids to form salts.

Street name for lysergic acid diethylamide

A substance that yields hydroxide ions when dissolved in water.

Harsh or corrosive in tone;

A substance that can act as a proton acceptor.

Containing acid;

A substance that can donate a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond.

A compound that turns blue litmus paper red.

The region in a transistor between the emitter and the collector.

A molecule with a pH less than 7.

The electrode attached to this region.

A key component in many chemical reactions.

One of the nitrogen-containing purines (adenine and guanine) or pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, and uracil) that occurs attached to the sugar component of DNA or RNA.

A bass singer or voice.

Forming or serving as a base

Situated at or near the base or bottom

(Chemistry) Of, relating to, or containing a base.

Having or showing a lack of decency; contemptible, mean-spirited, or selfish.

Being a metal that is of little value.

Containing such metals

(Archaic) Of low birth, rank, or position.

(Obsolete) Short in stature.

To form or provide a base for

To find a basis for; establish

To assign to a base; station

Something from which other things extend; a foundation.

A supporting, lower or bottom component of a structure or object.

The starting point of a logical deduction or thought; basis.

A permanent structure for housing military personnel and material.

The place where decisions for an organization are made; headquarters.

A basic but essential component or ingredient.

A substance used as a mordant in dyeing.

(cosmetics) Foundation: a cosmetic cream to make the face appear uniform.

(chemistry) Any of a class of generally water-soluble compounds, having bitter taste, that turn red litmus blue, and react with acids to form salts.

Important areas in games and sports.

A safe zone in the children's games of tag and hide-and-go-seek.

(baseball) One of the four places that a runner can stand without being subject to being tagged out when the ball is in play.

(architecture) The lowermost part of a column, between the shaft and the pedestal or pavement.

A nucleotide's nucleobase in the context of a DNA or RNA biopolymer.

(botany) The end of a leaf, petal or similar organ where it is attached to its support.

(electronics) The name of the controlling terminal of a bipolar transistor (BJT).

(geometry) The lowest side of a triangle or other polygon, or the lowest face of a cone, pyramid or other polyhedron laid flat.

(heraldry) The lowest third of a shield or escutcheon.

(heraldry) The lower part of the field. See escutcheon.

(mathematics) A number raised to the power of an exponent.

(mathematics) radix.

(topology) The set of sets from which a topology is generated.

(topology) A topological space, looked at in relation to one of its covering spaces, fibrations, or bundles.

(group theory) A sequence of elements not jointly stabilized by any nontrivial group element.

In hand-to-hand balance, the person who supports the flyer; the person that remains in contact with the ground.

(linguistics) A morpheme (or morphemes) that serves as a basic foundation on which affixes can be attached.

(music) bass

The smallest kind of cannon.

(archaic) The housing of a horse.

A kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade, but sometimes of mail or other armour) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower.

(obsolete) The lower part of a robe or petticoat.

(obsolete) An apron.

A line in a survey which, being accurately determined in length and position, serves as the origin from which to compute the distances and positions of any points or objects connected with it by a system of triangles.

(politics) A group of voters who almost always support a single party's candidates for elected office.

(Marxism) The forces and relations of production that produce the necessities and amenities of life.

A material that holds paint or other materials together; a binder.

(aviation) base leg

(slang) freebase cocaine

The game of prisoners' bars.

Alternative form of BASE

(transitive) To give as its foundation or starting point; to lay the foundation of.

(transitive) To be located (at a particular place).

To act as a base; to be the person supporting the flyer.

(slang) To freebase.

(obsolete) Low in height; short.

Low in place or position.

(obsolete) Of low value or degree.

(archaic) Of low social standing or rank; vulgar, common.

Morally reprehensible, immoral; cowardly.

Inferior; unworthy, of poor quality.

(of a metal) Not considered precious or noble.

Alloyed with inferior metal; debased.

(obsolete) Of illegitimate birth; bastard.

Not classical or correct.

Obsolete form of bass

(legal) Not held by honourable service.

Of little, or less than the usual, height; of low growth; as, base shrubs.

Low in place or position.

Of humble birth; or low degree; lowly; mean.

Illegitimate by birth; bastard.

Of little comparative value, as metal inferior to gold and silver, the precious metals.

Alloyed with inferior metal; debased; as, base coin; base bullion.

Morally low. Hence: Low-minded; unworthy; without dignity of sentiment; ignoble; mean; illiberal; menial; as, a base fellow; base motives; base occupations.

Not classical or correct.

Deep or grave in sound; as, the base tone of a violin.

Not held by honorable service; as, a base estate, one held by services not honorable; held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant, a base tenant.

The bottom of anything, considered as its support, or that on which something rests for support; the foundation; as, the base of a statue.

Fig.: The fundamental or essential part of a thing; the essential principle; a groundwork.

The lower part of a wall, pier, or column, when treated as a separate feature, usually in projection, or especially ornamented.

That extremity of a leaf, fruit, etc., at which it is attached to its support.

The positive, or non-acid component of a salt; a substance which, combined with an acid, neutralizes the latter and forms a salt; - applied also to the hydroxides of the positive elements or radicals, and to certain organic bodies resembling them in their property of forming salts with acids.

The chief ingredient in a compound.

A substance used as a mordant.

The exterior side of the polygon, or that imaginary line which connects the salient angles of two adjacent bastions.

The line or surface constituting that part of a figure on which it is supposed to stand.

The number from which a mathematical table is constructed; as, the base of a system of logarithms.

A low, or deep, sound. (Mus.) (a) The lowest part; the deepest male voice. (b) One who sings, or the instrument which plays, base.

A place or tract of country, protected by fortifications, or by natural advantages, from which the operations of an army proceed, forward movements are made, supplies are furnished, etc.

The smallest kind of cannon.

That part of an organ by which it is attached to another more central organ.

The basal plane of a crystal.

The ground mass of a rock, especially if not distinctly crystalline.

The lower part of the field. See Escutcheon.

The housing of a horse.

A kind of skirt (often of velvet or brocade, but sometimes of mailed armor) which hung from the middle to about the knees, or lower.

The lower part of a robe or petticoat.

An apron.

The point or line from which a start is made; a starting place or a goal in various games.

A line in a survey which, being accurately determined in length and position, serves as the origin from which to compute the distances and positions of any points or objects connected with it by a system of triangles.

A rustic play; - called also prisoner's base, prison base, or bars.

Any one of the four bounds which mark the circuit of the infield.

To put on a base or basis; to lay the foundation of; to found, as an argument or conclusion; - used with on or upon.

To abase; to let, or cast, down; to lower.

To reduce the value of; to debase.

Any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water;

Installation from which a military force initiates operations;

Lowest support of a structure;

Place that runner must touch before scoring;

(numeration system) the positive integer that is equivalent to one in the next higher counting place;

The bottom or lowest part;

(anatomy) the part of an organ nearest its point of attachment;

A lower limit;

The fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained;

A support or foundation;

The bottom side of a geometric figure from which the altitude can be constructed;

The most important or necessary part of something;

The place where you are stationed and from which missions start and end

An intensely anti-western terrorist network that dispenses money and logistical support and training to a wide variety of radical Islamic terrorist group; has cells in more than 50 countries

(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed;

The stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area;

The principal ingredient of a mixture;

A flat bottom on which something is intended to sit;

(electronics) the part of a transistor that separates the emitter from the collector

Use as a basis for; found on;

Use (purified cocaine) by burning it and inhaling the fumes

Assign to a station

Serving as or forming a base;

(used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal;

Of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense);

Not adhering to ethical or moral principles;

Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality;

Illegitimate

Debased; not genuine;

A substance that accepts protons.

A molecule with a pH greater than 7.

An acid is a substance that donates protons (H+ ions) in a reaction.

A base is a substance that accepts protons (H+ ions) in a reaction.

pH measures the acidity or basicity of a solution, indicating its acid or base strength.

Yes, concentrated acids and bases can be corrosive and cause harm.

Yes, substances like lemon juice (acid) and baking soda (base) are common examples.

Pure distilled water is neutral with a pH of 7.

They're used in manufacturing, cleaning, and various chemical processes.

Many bases, like soap solutions, feel slippery, but it's not a rule for all bases.

While many acids taste sour and bases taste bitter, it's not a definitive test for their presence.

Yes, when dissolved in water, they produce ions which make the solution conductive.

They undergo neutralization, producing water and a salt.

Using gloves, goggles, and working in well-ventilated areas can ensure safe handling.

Stomach acid aids in digestion and breaking down food.

Typically, yes. The reaction often releases heat.

They play vital roles in metabolism, digestion, and maintaining the body's pH balance.