Editing Acid–base reaction (section)

===Historic development===
The concept of an acid–base reaction was first proposed in 1754 by [[Guillaume-François Rouelle]], who introduced the word "[[base (chemistry)|base]]" into chemistry to mean a substance which reacts with an acid to give it solid form (as a salt). Bases are mostly bitter in nature.<ref>{{cite journal | author = Jensen, William B.|author1-link=William B. Jensen| title = The origin of the term "base"| journal = The Journal of Chemical Education | year = 2006 | volume = 83 | pages = 1130 | doi = 10.1021/ed083p1130 | issue = 8 | bibcode = 2006JChEd..83.1130J }}</ref>

====Lavoisier's oxygen theory of acids====
The first scientific concept of acids and bases was provided by [[Lavoisier]] in around 1776. Since Lavoisier's knowledge of [[strong acid]]s was mainly restricted to [[oxoacid]]s, such as {{chem2|HNO3}} ([[nitric acid]]) and {{chem2|H2SO4}} ([[sulfuric acid]]), which tend to contain central atoms in high [[oxidation state]]s surrounded by oxygen, and since he was not aware of the true composition of the [[hydrohalic acid]]s ([[hydrogen fluoride|HF]], [[hydrogen chloride|HCl]], [[hydrogen bromide|HBr]], and [[hydrogen iodide|HI]]), he defined acids in terms of their containing ''[[oxygen]]'', which in fact he named from Greek words meaning "acid-former" ({{ety|el|''ὀξύς'' (oxys)|acid, sharp||''γεινομαι'' (geinomai)|engender}}). The Lavoisier definition held for over 30 years, until the 1810 article and subsequent lectures by [[Humphry Davy|Sir Humphry Davy]] in which he proved the lack of oxygen in [[hydrogen sulfide]] ({{chem2|H2S}}), [[hydrogen telluride]] ({{chem2|H2Te}}), and the [[hydrohalic acid]]s. However, Davy failed to develop a new theory, concluding that "acidity does not depend upon any particular elementary substance, but upon peculiar arrangement of various substances".<ref name=review1940>{{cite journal |title=Systems of Acids and Bases|last=Hall|first=Norris F.|journal=[[Journal of Chemical Education]]|date=March 1940|volume=17|issue=3|doi=10.1021/ed017p124|pages=124–128|bibcode= 1940JChEd..17..124H}}</ref> One notable modification of oxygen theory was provided by [[Jöns Jacob Berzelius]], who stated that acids are oxides of nonmetals while bases are oxides of metals.

====Liebig's hydrogen theory of acids====
In 1838, [[Justus von Liebig]] proposed that an acid is a hydrogen-containing compound whose hydrogen can be replaced by a metal.<ref name="liebig_1">{{harvnb|Miessler|Tarr|1991}}</ref><ref name=meyers_156>{{harvnb|Meyers|2003|page=156}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Miessler|Tarr|1991|p=166}} – table of discoveries attributes Justus von Liebig's publication as 1838</ref> This redefinition was based on his extensive work on the chemical composition of [[organic acid]]s, finishing the doctrinal shift from oxygen-based acids to hydrogen-based acids started by Davy. Liebig's definition, while completely empirical, remained in use for almost 50 years until the adoption of the Arrhenius definition.<ref name="liebig_2">{{harvnb|Finston|Rychtman|1983|pp=140–146}}</ref>