aqueous cation H₃O⁺, the type of oxonium ion produced by protonation of water

Ball-and-stick model of the hydronium ion
In chemistry, hydronium (hydroxonium in traditional British English) is the cation ... H3O+, the type of oxonium ion produced by protonation of water. It is often viewed as the positive ion present … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Names IUPAC name
oxonium
Other names
hydronium ion
Identifiers
CAS Number 13968-08-6 Y
Factsheet
Names IUPAC name
oxonium
Other names
hydronium ion
Identifiers
CAS Number 13968-08-6 Y
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Hydronium
Hydronium - Wikipedia
4 weeks ago - Spectroscopic evidence from well-defined IR spectra overwhelmingly supports the Stoyanov cation as the predominant form. For this reason, it has been suggested that wherever possible, the symbol H+(aq) should be used instead of the hydronium ion.
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American Chemical Society
acs.org › molecule-of-the-week › archive › h › hydronium-ion.html
Hydronium ion - American Chemical Society
November 19, 2025 - All acidic aqueous solutions contain protonated water, known commonly as the hydronium ion (H3O+). Brønsted acids release one or more of their protons (hydrogen ions), which combine with water molecules.
People also ask

What is the hydronium ion formula?
Hydronium is a cation that has a formula of H3O+. It often is made from a water molecule combined with a positively charged hydrogen ion.
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study.com
study.com › courses › science courses › chemistry 101: general chemistry
Hydronium Ion | Definition, Formula & Calculation - Lesson | Study.com
Is hydronium a cation?
Yes. Hydronium is a cation that has a formula of H3O+. Since it has a positive charge, it classifies as a cation.
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study.com
study.com › courses › science courses › chemistry 101: general chemistry
Hydronium Ion | Definition, Formula & Calculation - Lesson | Study.com
Is H3O+ a cation?
Yes. Hydronium is a cation that has a formula of H3O+. Since it has a positive charge, it classifies as a cation.
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study.com
study.com › courses › science courses › chemistry 101: general chemistry
Hydronium Ion | Definition, Formula & Calculation - Lesson | Study.com
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Final Answer: The hydronium ion concentration is represented by the symbol [ H 3 ​ O + ] . It is commonly expressed in molarity or as pH, calculated using the formula pH = − lo g [ H 3 ​ O + ] . Understanding this concept is essential in determining the acidity of solutions. ; Explanation: The symbol for hydronium ion concentration is [ H 3 ​ O + ] . Hydronium ions form when an acid dissolves in water, increasing the concentration of hydronium ions in the solution. The concentration of hydronium ions is commonly expressed either in molarity (M), which is moles of ion per liter of solution, or as pH, which is calculated using the formula: pH = − lo g [ H 3 ​ O + ] This logarithmic scale helps to express the concentration of hydronium ions when they are very small, as is often the case in most aqueous solutions. When working with diluted acid solutions, for instance, a solution with a hydronium ion concentration of 0.001 M would have a pH calculated as: pH = − lo g ( 0.001 ) = 3 This means the solution is acidic. In summary, the concentration of hydronium ions, [ H 3 ​ O + ] , is an important factor in understanding the acidity of solutions and can be converted to pH for easier interpretation. Additionally, concentrations of hydronium ions and hydroxide ions are inversely related in water, meaning if the concentration of one increases, the other decreases. In pure water at 25 °C, hydronium ion concentration is equal to hydroxide ion concentration, leading to a neutral pH of 7. The relationship can be understood through the auto-ionization of water, where: [ H 3 ​ O + ] [ O H − ] = 1 0 − 14 (at 25 °C) This equation shows that as [ H 3 ​ O + ] increases, [ O H − ] must decrease to maintain this constant. ; Examples & Evidence: For example, if a solution has a hydronium ion concentration of 0.01 M, its pH would be 2, indicating a strongly acidic solution. Conversely, if a solution is neutral with a pH of 7, both hydronium and hydroxide concentrations would be at 1 × 1 0 − 7 M . This information is based on fundamental concepts in chemistry regarding acid-base theory, hydronium ion dynamics, and the pH scale, which are standard in high school chemistry curricula.
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The symbol for hydronium ion concentration is H+. There are quite a few relationships between [H+] and [OH−] ions. And because there is a large range of number between 10 to 10-15 M, the pH is used. pH = -log[H+] and pOH = -log[OH−]. In aqueous solutions, [H+ ][OH- ] = 10-14. From here we can derive the values of each concentration.
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Study.com
study.com › courses › science courses › chemistry 101: general chemistry
Hydronium Ion | Definition, Formula & Calculation - Lesson | Study.com
September 18, 2017 - Learn about the hydronium cation, which has the chemical formula H3O+. Understand the definition of hydronium ion and the formula for calculating...
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Chemistry LibreTexts
chem.libretexts.org › bookshelves › physical & theoretical chemistry › supplemental modules (physical and theoretical chemistry) › acids and bases › acids and bases in aqueous solutions
The Hydronium Ion - Chemistry LibreTexts
January 30, 2023 - Water has the ability to attract H+ ions because it is a polar molecule. This means that it has a partial charge, in this case the charge is negative. The partial charge is caused by the fact that oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen. This means that in the bond between hydrogen and oxygen, oxygen "pulls" harder on the shared electrons thus causing a partial negative charge on the molecule and causing it to be attracted to the positive charge of H+ to form hydronium.
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Wikidoc
wikidoc.org › index.php › Hydronium
Hydronium - wikidoc
Hydronium is the cation that forms from water in the presence of hydrogen ions. These hydrons do not exist in a free state: they are extremely reactive and are solvated by water. An acid is generally the source of these hydrons; however, since water can behave as both an acid and a base, hydroniums ...
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PubChem
pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › compound › Oxonium
Oxonium | H3O+ | CID 123332 - PubChem
Oxonium | H3O+ | CID 123332 - structure, chemical names, physical and chemical properties, classification, patents, literature, biological activities, safety/hazards/toxicity information, supplier lists, and more.
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Quora
quora.com › What-is-hydronium-ion
What is hydronium ion? - Quora
Answer (1 of 9): It is protonated water or H3O+ (3 subscripted, + superscripted) “H+” by itself does not say much. A hydrogen atom that has lost its electron will be just a proton, or H+ but of course, we understand that we assume H+ is in aqueous solution.
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Science Notes
sciencenotes.org › home › science notes posts › hydronium ion or oxonium
Hydronium Ion or Oxonium
January 13, 2024 - The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recommends the term “oxonium” or “hydroxonium” be used in place of the word “hydronium.” However, hydronium remains the common name for the ion.
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ThoughtCo
thoughtco.com › definition-of-hydronium-ion-604531
What Is a Hydronium Ion?
February 4, 2019 - In chemistry, pH is calculated as the ratio of hydronium ions to hydroxide (OH-) ions. When the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration is discussed, it's actually hydronium.
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Hint: Electron dot diagrams are called Lewis dot structures. In this representation, electrons are represented using dots. Bonding in a molecule is presented using the atoms along with their bond pairs and lone pairs. Complete step by step answer:Hydronium ion is the common aqueous ion. It is produced by protonation of water molecules. Formation of hydronium ions can be explained using the following electron dot diagram.\n \n \n \n \n The central atom in water is oxygen. It contains a total six valence electrons. Two of these electrons form bonds with two hydrogen atoms. There are two lone pairs left on the oxygen atom. A proton is a hydrogen cation which does not have any electrons. When a proton approaches the water molecule, the oxygen donates one lone pair towards this proton and forms hydronium ion as shown in the figure. Since both electrons in the formation of hydronium ions are from the oxygen, the bond formed is a coordination bond. The structure of hydronium ion is shown below.\n \n \n \n \n Hence the type of bonding present in hydronium ion is coordination bond.Additional information-Structure of hydronium ion is trigonal pyramidal with oxygen in $s{p^3}$ hybridisation. The H-O-H bond angle is ${113^0}$. The one lone pair occupy above the oxygen atom.Note:Formula for hydronium ions is ${H_3}{O^ + }$ . According to IUPAC nomenclature hydronium ion is called oxonium ion. Hydronium ions are highly reactive and exist as solvated in water. It exists as a tri-hydrated hydronium ion with chemical formula is ${H_3}{O^ + } \\cdot 3{H_2}O$ .
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Fiveable
library.fiveable.me › all key terms › ap chemistry › hydronium ion
Hydronium Ion - (AP Chemistry) - Vocab, Definition, Explanations | Fiveable | Fiveable
A hydronium ion is a water molecule (H2O) that has gained an extra hydrogen ion (H+), making its formula H3O+. It's often present in solutions where water is interacting with acids.
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Termium Plus
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ion hidrogeno
L'ion hydronium, de formule H3O+, est presque toujours appelé ion hydrogène, symbole H[plus]; l'ion d'hydrogène, n'existant pas à l'état libre dans l'eau, s'associe à une molécule d'eau pour former l'ion hydronium; cet ion hydronium par ...
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Termium Plus
btb.termiumplus.gc.ca › tpv2alpha › alpha-eng.html
H3O ION [1 record]
Le proton en solution aqueuse peut donner lieu à plusieurs écritures : - H[exposant]+(aq); cette écriture conventionnelle, simple et cohérente avec celle utilisée pour les autres ions, facilite l'écriture de nombreuses équations chimiques. - H3O+ (l'IUPAC recommande l'appellation oxonium). L'écriture H3O+(aq) n'est pas nécessaire. 6, record 1, French, - ion oxonium
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Termium Plus
btb.termiumplus.gc.ca › tpv2alpha › alpha-eng.html
TERMIUM Plus®
Le proton en solution aqueuse peut donner lieu à plusieurs écritures : - H[exposant]+(aq); cette écriture conventionnelle, simple et cohérente avec celle utilisée pour les autres ions, facilite l'écriture de nombreuses équations chimiques. - H3O+ (l'IUPAC recommande l'appellation oxonium). L'écriture H3O+(aq) n'est pas nécessaire. 6, record 1, French, - ion oxonium
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Termium Plus
btb.termiumplus.gc.ca › tpv2alpha › alpha-eng.html
hydronium ion [1 record] - TERMIUM Plus® — Search - TERMIUM Plus®
Most of the time, the hydronium ion, symbol H3O+, is called hydrogen ion, symbol H[plus], even if the notion described by this term (hydrogen ion) represents not an hydrogen ion but "a proton (hydrogen ion) combined with a molecule of water."
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Termium Plus
btb.termiumplus.gc.ca › tpv2alpha › alpha-fra.html
HYDRONIUM [1 fiche] - TERMIUM Plus® — Recherche
Le proton en solution aqueuse peut donner lieu à plusieurs écritures : - H[exposant]+(aq); cette écriture conventionnelle, simple et cohérente avec celle utilisée pour les autres ions, facilite l'écriture de nombreuses équations chimiques. - H3O+ (l'IUPAC recommande l'appellation oxonium). L'écriture H3O+(aq) n'est pas nécessaire. 6, fiche 1, Français, - ion oxonium
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Termium Plus
btb.termiumplus.gc.ca › tpv2alpha › alpha-fra.html
ion hydronium
Most of the time, the hydronium ion, symbol H3O+, is called hydrogen ion, symbol H[plus], even if the notion described by this term (hydrogen ion) represents not an hydrogen ion but "a proton (hydrogen ion) combined with a molecule of water."
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Termium Plus
btb.termiumplus.gc.ca › tpv2alpha › alpha-fra.html
ION HYDRONIUM [1 fiche]
Most of the time, the hydronium ion, symbol H3O+, is called hydrogen ion, symbol H[plus], even if the notion described by this term (hydrogen ion) represents not an hydrogen ion but "a proton (hydrogen ion) combined with a molecule of water."