Medicine. There are several definitions for acid; (1) The Arrhenius definition is a substance that ionizes in water to product H+ ions. (2) The BrØnsted definition is a substance that is a proton (H+) donor. This does not require the substances to be in aqueous (water) solution). (3) The Lewis definition is a substance that can accept a pair of electrons. This does not require a proton or aqueous solution. There are several other definitions as well. An acidic solution is defined as one that has a pH less than 7.0. Additional Info: The following are examples of strong acids, meaning that they completely dissociate into ions and form H+ in aqueous (water) solution. For example: HCl→H++ Cl-. Chemists will tell you that the following equation is more correct because H+ ions (sometimes referred to as "protons") actually exist as H3O+ ions (called hydronium cations) in water: HCl + H2O→H3O++ Cl. The actual behavior is much more complex, but either of the above are a convenient enough way of thinking about how acids dissociate in water. Regardless of how you write the equations, all of the following strong acids (Formula& Name) will cause severe and immediate burns upon skin contact: HClO4: Perchloric acid; HI: Hydroiodic acid; HBr: Hydrobromic acid; HCl: Hydrochloric acid; H2SO4: Sulfuric acid; HNO3: Nitric acid. The acids listed above are all examples of inorganic acids, sometimes called mineral acids. Mineral/inorganic acids can be strong or weak. Weak acids do not dissociate completely into ions. Examples of these include acetic acid (a 5% solution of acetic acid in water is called vinegar), formic acid, ammonium cation (NH4+), and water itself. The strength of acids can be measured using the pH scale. The lower the pH, the greater the acidity of a solution. Substances with names that end in "oic acid" or "ic acid" are organic acids called carboxylic acids. Two of the examples we just looked at, formic acid and acetic acid are carboxylic acids. Just because an acid is weak does not mean that it can't harm you. For example, HF, hydrofluoric acid, is a weak inorganic acid. When you spill it on your hand it doesn't burn...but over the course of hours it migrates to the bones in your fingers and then begins to dissolve them from the inside out (a painful process; amputation can be required). In addition, systemic effects such as hypocalcemia can cause death. See: The HF links under Further Reading below for more information. Some common properties of acids are: (a) They have a sour taste (tasting acids...or for that matter, any chemical, is not generally recommended!). For example, the citric acid in lemons and acetic acid in vinegar are responsible for the sour taste of each. (b) They can react with metals such as magnesium, zinc or iron to corrode them and produce explosive hydrogen gas. Do not store acids in metal containers! (c) Solutions of acids can conduct electricity. The concentration of acids can be expressed in many different ways: (d) Molarity, (e) Percent by mass, (f) Degrees Baum (indirectly). MSDS Relevance: It is important to know the pH of substances because they may be corrosive or react with incompatible materials. For example acids and bases should not be stored or used near each other as their accidental combination could generate a huge amount of heat and energy, possibly resulting in an explosion - here is a terrific example of what can happen when incompatibles are mixed! pH is also important to know in case you spill the material on your skin or eyes. Whenever a substance enters the eye, flush with water for 15 minutes and get prompt medical attention. Special care needs to be taken when storing acids. Minor spills and acid fumes can quickly corrode standard metal storage cabinets or soapstone countertops, for example. The best choice for storing acid containers is a chemically-resistant cabinet designed for that purpose, with polyethylene construction being the best choice for laboratory quantities of acids. Polyethylene spill trays are also a very good idea, whether acids are stored on a bench top or in a cabinet