An
acid (from the
Latin acidus/acere meaning
sour) is a chemical substance 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 (like
calcium) to form
salts. An aqueous solution of an acid has a
pH of less than 7 and is colloquially also referred to as 'acid' (as in 'dissolved in acid'), while the strict definition refers only to the
solute. An acid usually contains a hydrogen atom bonded to a chemical structure that is still energetically favorable after loss of H
+ (a positive hydrogen ion or proton). A lower pH means a higher acidity, and thus a higher concentration of
positive hydrogen ions in the
solution. Chemicals or substances having the property of an acid are said to be
acidic.