⇒ Acids taste sour, react with metals, react with carbonates, and turn blue litmus paper red. Bases taste bitter, feel slippery, do not react with carbonates and turn red litmus paper blue.
The study of acids and bases is crucial to chemistry. The Lewis acid/base motif, which broadens the concept of an acid and base beyond H+ and OH- ions, is one of the most relevant theories.
Acids are ionic compounds, which means they have a positive or negative charge. In water, these ionic compounds separate to create hydrogen ions, or H+.
The quantity of H+ ions in the solution determines how strong an acid is. Acid is stronger the more H+ there is. Bases are ionic substances that separate in water to produce the negatively charged hydroxide ion (OH-). The quantity of Hydroxide ions in a base determines its strength (OH-). The strength of the base increases with OH- ion concentration.
Hope this helps,
- Eddie.