An acid is a substance that can react with bases, often tastes sour, and can sometimes burn or corrode materials. In chemistry, acids can donate protons (H⁺ ions) in a reaction.
From Latin 'acidus' or 'acer', meaning 'sour' or 'sharp'. The word originally described the sour taste of things like vinegar and lemon juice.
The idea of 'sharpness' is built into the word acid—it was first about sharp taste, not chemistry formulas. That’s why we still use 'acidic' to talk about the bite of food flavors as well as lab reactions.
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