What are Lewis and Bronsted acids and bases?

1 Answer
Nam D.
Jun 8, 2018

Species that do transfer of electrons and transfer of protons, respectively...

Explanation:

A Lewis acid or base is a species which can receive or donate a lone pair of electrons, respectively. Lewis acids have space for a pair of electrons, and so they are willing to accept it, meanwhile Lewis bases have spare pairs of electrons, and so are willing to donate them to a Lewis acid.

Bronsted-Lowry acid-base theory is much more common. It talks about proton (hydrogen ions or H^+) transfer. A Bronsted-Lowry acid is one species which can donate H^+ ions, while a Bronsted-Lowry base is a species which accepts those H^+ ions. An amphoteric substance is one where it can donate and receive H^+ ions, the most common one being water (H_2O).

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