The Acidic Environment > 4. Acid/Base Definitions >
Outline the Brönsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases
- In 1923, Thomas Martin Lowry (English) and Johannes Nicolaus Brönsted (Danish) independently proposed new definitions for acids and bases:
- Acids: Proton donors.
- Bases: Proton acceptors.
- If a substance has a greater tendency to donate protons than a particular solvent, then in that solvent it will be an acid.
- If a substance has a greater tendency to accept protons than a particular solvent, then in that solvent it will be a base.
- These definitions overcame difficulties and are the most widely accepted definitions today.
Thomas Martin Lowry