Hydronium

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

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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Hydronium
Hydronium - Wikipedia
3 weeks ago - In chemistry, hydronium (hydroxonium in traditional British English) is the cation ... H3O+, the type of oxonium ion produced by protonation of water.
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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 - The hydronium ion is an important factor when dealing with chemical reactions that occur in aqueous solutions. Its concentration relative to hydroxide is a direct measure of the pH of a solution.
Discussions

Does the hydronium ion (H3O+) actually exist? If so, how does H+ ion molecule bond with the water molecule, seeing as it has no electrons?
It's like any other atom, it borrows the electron from the oxygen. It's not a very powerful bond which is why H3O is a less common molecule compared to H2O More on reddit.com
🌐 r/NoStupidQuestions
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March 3, 2023
Calculating Hydronium ion concentration from pH (and identifying molecules based on pH)
The first problem (pH one) is correct You started the second one (which form is basic/acidic) with the right premises and reasoning but you came to the wrong conclusions. Think again about what you labelled acidic and basic. Which proton could be lost by the acidic form? Which atom could receive a proton in the basic form? More on reddit.com
🌐 r/chemhelp
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August 13, 2019
Directing the rate‐enhancement for hydronium ion catalyzed dehydration via organization of alkanols in nanoscopic confinements
Alkanol dehydration rates catalyzed by hydronium ions are enhanced by the dimensions of steric confinements of zeolite pores as well as by intraporous intermolecular interactions with other alkanols. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/ACIE
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November 3, 2018
lewis dot diagram help for hydronium ion
Hint, start with H2O. Then use one of O’s lone pairs to form the third bond to an H+ More on reddit.com
🌐 r/chemhelp
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December 30, 2020
People also ask

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
Is H3O+ an acid or base?
H3O+ is the sign of an acid being present. The concentration of H3O+ determines the magnitude of the acidity of a solution.
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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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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.
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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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University of Waterloo
uwaterloo.ca › chem13-news-magazine › december-2016-january-2017 › feature › hydronium-ion-yes-or-no
Hydronium ion: Yes or no? | Chem 13 News Magazine | University of Waterloo
December 7, 2018 - Streamlining the acid ionization equation with the H+ ion makes the weak acid the star of the show, with the emphasis on the loss of the proton from the acid. Referring to H+ as a proton also requires a bit of explanation and a few moments of digesting by most high school chemistry students, but they usually get the hang of it after a few examples. And now, many years later, I have joined the hydronium ion camp.
Find elsewhere
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Fiveable
fiveable.me › all key terms › organic chemistry › hydronium ion
Hydronium Ion Definition - Organic Chemistry Key Term | Fiveable
The hydronium ion, represented as H3O+, is a cation formed when a proton (H+) is added to a water molecule. It is a key player in the understanding of acid-base chemistry and the strength of acids and bases.
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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 - It occurs when a hydrogen ion combines with a water molecule. 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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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Oxonium_ion
Oxonium ion - Wikipedia
May 24, 2025 - In chemistry, an oxonium ion is any cation containing an oxygen atom that has three bonds and 1+ formal charge. The simplest oxonium ion is the hydronium ion (H3O+). Hydronium is one of a series of oxonium ions with the formula RnH3−nO+. Oxygen is usually pyramidal with an sp3 hybridization.
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Chemistry LibreTexts
chem.libretexts.org › campus bookshelves › portland community college › ch105: allied health chemistry ii › 5: acids and bases
5.2: Hydronium Ions - Chemistry LibreTexts
December 13, 2024 - Because a proton is only about one ten-thousandth as big as an average atom or ion, water dipoles can approach very close to a hydrogen ion in solution. Consequently the proton can exert a very strong attractive force on a lone pair of electrons in a water molecule—strong enough to form a coordinate covalent bond: The H3O+ formed in this way is called a hydronium ion (on the left in the figure below).
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Fiveable
fiveable.me › all key terms › principles of food science › hydronium ions
Hydronium Ions - (Principles of Food Science)
Hydronium ions are positively charged ions formed when a water molecule (H2O) gains an extra proton (H+), resulting in the chemical species H3O+. These ions are critical in understanding the acidity and basicity of solutions, as they directly influence the pH levels and reactivity of substances ...
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Gonzaga
guweb2.gonzaga.edu › faculty › cronk › CHEM101pub › hydronium.html
CHEM 101 - Hydronium ion
March 25, 2020 - This ionic equation is commonly abbreviated by chemists by elimination of a water molecule and letting H+(aq) represent hydronium ion:
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ACS Publications
pubs.acs.org › doi › 10.1021 › ja050401k
The Structure of the H3O+ Hydronium Ion in Benzene | Journal of the American Chemical Society
Infrared, X-ray structural, 1H NMR, and computational evidence for π-solvation of H3O+ by benzene molecules is presented. A salt with a discrete [H3O·3benzene]+ cation can be isolated using a very weakly interacting carborane counterion, CHB11Cl11-. π-Arene solvation of H3O+ explains the solubility of this salt in benzene solution.
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Quora
quora.com › Why-do-hydronium-ions-form-How-do-they-form
Why do hydronium ions form? How do they form? - Quora
Answer (1 of 4): A hydronium ion is written as H3O+. It is formed when something else donate a proton, or H+, to a water molecule. The H+ will easily bond to one of the two lone pairs of electrons around the water molecule.
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Dictionary.com
dictionary.com › browse › hydronium-ion
HYDRONIUM ION Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
November 19, 2025 - Hydronium ion definition: the hydrogen ion bonded to a molecule of water, H 3 O + , the form in which hydrogen ions are found in aqueous solution.. See examples of HYDRONIUM ION used in a sentence.
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PubMed
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › 16464096
The nature of the H3O+ hydronium ion in benzene and chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents. Conditions of existence and reinterpretation of infrared data - PubMed
February 15, 2006 - Salts of the C(3v) symmetric hydronium ion, H(3)O(+), have been obtained in the weakly basic solvents benzene, dichloromethane, and 1,2-dichloroethane. This is made possible by using carborane counterions of the type CHB(11)R(5)X(6)(-) (R = ...
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Wiley Online Library
onlinelibrary.wiley.com › doi › abs › 10.1002 › 047147844X.pc291
The Hydronium Ion - David - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library
July 15, 2005 - The simplest representation of H+(aq) is the hydronium ion (sometimes also referred to as the oxonium ion or the hydroxonium ion), H3O+(aq), but this is just the first in a series the next few members of which are H5O2+, H7O3+, H9O4+, and in ...