Difference Wiki

Acid vs. Base

Acids and bases are the chemical compounds which are said to be chemical opposites of each other. They are various properties, and definitions that can differentiate between both of them. Acids are said to be the chemical compounds that are the proton donors and when they are mixed in an aqueous solution, it rises the H+ ion concentration, whereas Bases are the chemical compounds that are the proton acceptors and when they are mixed in aqueous solution it increases the OH- ion concentration. Other than that they can be differentiated as acid is a chemical compound, which gives the higher hydrogen ion activity to the solution than the pure water, when it is being dissolved in water i.e. a pH less than 7.0. Contrary to this, base is a chemical compound, which gives the lower hydrogen ion activity to the solution than the pure water, when it is being dissolved in water i.e. a pH higher than 7.0.

Key Differences

Acids usually have sour taste, whereas bases generally have the soapy taste.
Janet White
Jan 09, 2017
Acids are said to be the chemical compounds that are the proton donors and when they are mixed in an aqueous solution, it rises the H+ ion concentration, whereas Bases are the chemical compounds that are the proton acceptors and when they are mixed in aqueous solution it increases the OH- ion concentration.
Acids turn blue litmus paper red, on the other hand, bases turn red litmus paper blue.
Acid is a chemical compound, which gives the higher hydrogen ion activity to the solution than the pure water, when it is being dissolved in water i.e. a pH less than 7.0. Contrary to this, base is a chemical compound, which gives the lower hydrogen ion activity to the solution than the pure water, when it is being dissolved in water i.e. a pH higher than 7.0.

Comparison Chart

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Acid is a chemical compound that has a pH lower than 7, and has an ability to donate the protons and accept the electron pair, and when it is mixed or dissolved in an aqueous solution it increases the H+ ion concentration.
Base is a chemical compound that has a pH higher than 7, and has an ability to accept the protons and donate the electron pair, and when it is mixed or dissolved in an aqueous solution it increases the OH- ion concentration.

Dissolved in Water

Acid gives the higher hydrogen ion activity to the solution than the pure water, when it is being dissolved in water i.e. a pH less than 7.0.
Base gives the lower hydrogen ion activity to the solution than the pure water, when it is being dissolved in water i.e. a pH higher than 7.0.
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Litmus Paper

Acids turn blue litmus paper red.
Bases turn red litmus paper blue.

Taste

Sour
Soapy
Janet White
Jan 09, 2017

Example

Acetic acid (CH3COOH) Sulfuric acid, (H2SO4) Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), NH3
Samantha Walker
Jan 09, 2017

Acid and Base Definitions

Acid

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.

Base

The lowest or bottom part
The base of a cliff.
The base of a lamp.

Acid

A substance that yields hydrogen ions when dissolved in water.
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Base

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

Acid

A substance that can act as a proton donor.

Base

The point of attachment of such an organ.

Acid

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

Base

A supporting part or layer; a foundation
A skyscraper built on a base of solid rock.

Acid

A substance having a sour taste.
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Base

A basic or underlying element; infrastructure
The nation's industrial base.

Acid

The quality of being sarcastic, bitter, or scornful
Wrote with acid about her first marriage.

Base

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

Acid

(Slang) See LSD1.

Base

A fundamental ingredient; a chief constituent
A paint with an oil base.

Acid

Of, relating to, or containing an acid.

Base

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

Acid

Having a high concentration of acid.

Base

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

Acid

Having the characteristics of an acid.

Base

(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.

Acid

Having a pH of less than 7.

Base

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

Acid

Having a relatively high concentration of hydrogen ions.

Base

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

Acid

(Geology) Containing a large proportion of silica
Acid rocks.

Base

A fortified center of operations.

Acid

Having a sour taste.

Base

A supply center for a large force of military personnel.

Acid

Biting, sarcastic, or scornful
An acid wit.
An acid tone of voice.

Base

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

Acid

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

Base

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

Acid

(figuratively) Sour-tempered.

Base

(Heraldry) The lower part of a shield.

Acid

Of or pertaining to an acid; acidic.

Base

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

Acid

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

Base

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

Acid

A sour substance.

Base

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.

Acid

(chemistry)

Base

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.

Acid

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

Base

A line used as a reference for measurement or computations.

Acid

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

Base

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.

Acid

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

Base

A substance that yields hydroxide ions when dissolved in water.

Acid

Any corrosive substance.

Base

A substance that can act as a proton acceptor.

Acid

LSD, lysergic acid diethylamide.

Base

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

Acid

Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as, acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour-tempered.
He was stern and his face as acid as ever.

Base

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

Acid

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

Base

The electrode attached to this region.

Acid

A sour substance.

Base

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.

Acid

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.

Base

A bass singer or voice.

Acid

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

Base

Forming or serving as a base
A base layer of soil.

Acid

Street name for lysergic acid diethylamide

Base

Situated at or near the base or bottom
A base camp for the mountain climbers.

Acid

Harsh or corrosive in tone;
An acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose
A barrage of acid comments
Her acrid remarks make her many enemies
Bitter words
Blistering criticism
Caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics
A sulfurous denunciation

Base

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

Acid

Containing acid;
An acid taste

Base

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

Base

Being a metal that is of little value.

Base

Containing such metals
Base coins.

Base

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

Base

(Obsolete) Short in stature.

Base

To form or provide a base for
Based the new company in Portland.

Base

To find a basis for; establish
Based her conclusions on the report.
A film based on a best-selling novel.

Base

To assign to a base; station
Troops based in the Middle East.

Base

Something from which other things extend; a foundation.

Base

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

Base

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

Base

A permanent structure for housing military personnel and material.

Base

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

Base

A basic but essential component or ingredient.

Base

A substance used as a mordant in dyeing.

Base

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

Base

(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.

Base

Important areas in games and sports.

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

(mathematics) A number raised to the power of an exponent.
The logarithm to base 2 of 8 is 3.

Base

(mathematics) radix.

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

(music) bass

Base

The smallest kind of cannon.

Base

(archaic) The housing of a horse.

Base

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.

Base

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

Base

(obsolete) An apron.

Base

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.

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

(aviation) base leg

Base

(slang) freebase cocaine

Base

The game of prisoners' bars.

Base

Alternative form of BASE

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

(slang) To freebase.

Base

(obsolete) Low in height; short.

Base

Low in place or position.

Base

(obsolete) Of low value or degree.

Base

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

Base

Morally reprehensible, immoral; cowardly.

Base

Inferior; unworthy, of poor quality.

Base

(of a metal) Not considered precious or noble.

Base

Alloyed with inferior metal; debased.
Base coin
Base bullion

Base

(obsolete) Of illegitimate birth; bastard.

Base

Not classical or correct.

Base

Obsolete form of bass
The base tone of a violin

Base

(legal) Not held by honourable service.
A base estate is one held by services not honourable, or held by villenage. Such a tenure is called base, or low, and the tenant is a base tenant.

Base

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

Base

Low in place or position.

Base

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

Base

Illegitimate by birth; bastard.
Why bastard? wherefore base?

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

Not classical or correct.

Base

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

Base

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.

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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.

Base

The chief ingredient in a compound.

Base

A substance used as a mordant.

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

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.

Base

The smallest kind of cannon.

Base

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

Base

The basal plane of a crystal.

Base

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

Base

The lower part of the field. See Escutcheon.

Base

The housing of a horse.

Base

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.

Base

The lower part of a robe or petticoat.

Base

An apron.

Base

The point or line from which a start is made; a starting place or a goal in various games.
To their appointed base they went.

Base

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.

Base

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

Base

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

Base

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

Base

To abase; to let, or cast, down; to lower.
If any . . . based his pike.

Base

To reduce the value of; to debase.
Metals which we can not base.

Base

Any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water;
Bases include oxides and hydroxides of metals and ammonia

Base

Installation from which a military force initiates operations;
The attack wiped out our forward bases

Base

Lowest support of a structure;
It was built on a base of solid rock
He stood at the foot of the tower

Base

Place that runner must touch before scoring;
He scrambled to get back to the bag

Base

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

Base

The bottom or lowest part;
The base of the mountain

Base

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

Base

A lower limit;
The government established a wage floor

Base

The fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained;
The whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture

Base

A support or foundation;
The base of the lamp

Base

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

Base

The most important or necessary part of something;
The basis of this drink is orange juice

Base

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

Base

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

Base

(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed;
Thematic vowels are part of the stem

Base

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

Base

The principal ingredient of a mixture;
Glycerinated gelatin is used as a base for many ointments
He told the painter that he wanted a yellow base with just a hint of green
Everything she cooked seemed to have rice as the base

Base

A flat bottom on which something is intended to sit;
A tub should sit on its own base

Base

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

Base

Use as a basis for; found on;
Base a claim on some observation

Base

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

Base

Assign to a station

Base

Serving as or forming a base;
The painter applied a base coat followed by two finishing coats

Base

(used of metals) consisting of or alloyed with inferior metal;
Base coins of aluminum
A base metal

Base

Of low birth or station (`base' is archaic in this sense);
Baseborn wretches with dirty faces
Of humble (or lowly) birth

Base

Not adhering to ethical or moral principles;
Base and unpatriotic motives
A base, degrading way of life
Cheating is dishonorable
They considered colonialism immoral
Unethical practices in handling public funds

Base

Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality;
That liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble
Taking a mean advantage
Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort
Something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics

Base

Illegitimate

Base

Debased; not genuine;
An attempt to eliminate the base coinage

What is Acid?

Acid is a chemical compound that has a pH lower than 7, and has an ability to donate the protons and accept the electron pair, and when it is mixed or dissolved in an aqueous solution it increases the H+ ion concentration. There are many definitions by the famous chemists about acids, as it is one of the integral compounds in chemistry. The above given definition is a compact definition that covers various properties of acids. Apart from that here are some of the famous definitions of acids. According to the Arrhenius, an acid is any chemical compound which when dissolved in water gives a solution with a hydrogen ion activity greater than in pure water. According to the Bronstead Lowry, An acid is a substance which donates a proton. According to the Lewis, acid is a compound or ionic species which can accept an electron pair from a donor compound. Acids are the compounds having a pH value less than 7, although lower the pH value, stronger the acid. They usually have sour taste, some examples of acids are Acetic acid (CH3COOH), Sulfuric acid, and (H2SO4) Hydrochloric acid (HCl). Acids turn blue litmus paper red, on the other hand, bases turn red litmus paper blue.

What is Base?

Base is a chemical compound that has a pH higher than 7, and has an ability to accept the protons and donate the electron pair, and when it is mixed or dissolved in an aqueous solution it increases the OH- ion concentration. According to the Arrhenius, a base is an aqueous substance that can accept hydrogen ions. According to the Bronstead Lowry, a base is any substance which accepts a proton. According to Lewis, base is a species that can donate a pair of electrons to an electron acceptor. As mentioned above base are the compounds having higher pH than 7, it should be kept mentioned here that higher the pH, the stronger the base. Salt which is another type of chemical compound on the basis of dissolution is formed as a result of chemical reaction between the acid and base. The process of reaction between acid and base is called neutralization and it produces water other than the formation of salts. Bases turn red litmus paper blue. Bases generally have the soapy taste, some common examples of bases are; Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH), Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), NH3, etc.

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