What determines whether a substance is an acid or a base?
It all comes down to a single proton.
The answer
According to the Brønsted-Lowry definition, an acid is any substance that donates a hydrogen ion (a proton, H⁺) to another substance, while a base accepts one. The pH scale measures the concentration of these hydrogen ions in solution, from 0 (extremely acidic) to 14 (extremely basic). Our stomachs produce hydrochloric acid with a pH of about 1.5, strong enough to dissolve metal, while our blood is maintained at a precise pH of 7.35–7.45 - even small deviations can be life-threatening.
Source: Royal Society of Chemistry
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