Proton Transfer
Part of the Acids and Bases section of Coddy's Chemistry journey. Lesson 3 of 30.
H⁺ is a bare proton. An acid is a proton donor; a base is a proton acceptor.
An acid reaction is a proton transfer: one gives, another takes. No water is needed:
HCl + NH₃ → NH₄⁺ + Cl⁻
HCl gave the proton (acid); NH₃ took it (base).
Challenge
A bottle of hydrochloric acid and a bottle of ammonia stand open side by side, and a white smoke forms between them:
HCl + NH₃ → NH₄⁺ + Cl⁻
Which reactant is the acid and which is the base?
Try it yourself
Acids and basesFind the acid and the base
HClNH3NH4+Cl−
Test yourselfThis lesson includes a short quiz. Start the lesson to answer it and track your progress.
All lessons in Acids and Bases
1Acids and Bases
What Is an AcidWhat Is a BaseProton TransferConjugate PairsWater as Acid and BaseRecap - Proton Swap