Acid
/ˈæs.ɪd/
Intermediate🔥Very CommonConcept
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
A chemical substance with a pH of less than 7, capable of donating a hydrogen ion (H+) to another compound.
/ˈæs.ɪd/
neutralIntermediate
Concept
A sour tastant; a compound that yields hydrogen ions in solution.
The scientist added acid to the solution to observe the reaction.
💡 Simply: A compound that can donate a hydrogen ion, making it sour in taste and with a pH less than 7.
How It's Used
Chemistry
"The lemon juice has a high acid content."
From Old French acide, from Latin acidus ‘sour’, from acere ‘to be sour’.
The term has been in use since the 17th century to describe sour-tasting substances.
Memory tip
Think of citrus fruits, which are both sour and acidic.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"sour"
strong acidweak acidmineral acidorganic acid
Common misspellings
asidascidacide
Practice
Usage
80%Spoken
20%Written