Question
When dissolved in water, an acid or a base breaks down into
a proton and an electron.
two negative ions.
a positive and a negative ion.
a positive ion and a proton.
a proton and an electron.
two negative ions.
a positive and a negative ion.
a positive ion and a proton.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
When dissolved in water, an acid or a base typically breaks down into **a positive ion and a negative ion**.
For acids, they release protons (H⁺ ions) into the solution, while the remaining part of the acid becomes a negative ion. For bases, they usually dissociate into hydroxide ions (OH⁻) and a positive ion (like Na⁺ in the case of sodium hydroxide). Thus, the overall answer is that they break down into a positive ion and a negative ion.
For acids, they release protons (H⁺ ions) into the solution, while the remaining part of the acid becomes a negative ion. For bases, they usually dissociate into hydroxide ions (OH⁻) and a positive ion (like Na⁺ in the case of sodium hydroxide). Thus, the overall answer is that they break down into a positive ion and a negative ion.