Binary acid

Binary acids are certain molecular compounds in which hydrogen is combined with a second nonmetallic element.

Examples: CH4, NH3, H2O, HF, HCl, HBr, HI

Their strengths depend on the solvation of the initial acid, the H-X bond energy, the electron affinity energy of X, and the solvation energy of X. Observed trends in acidity correlate with bond energies, the weaker the H-X bond, the stronger the acid. For example, there is a weak bond between hydrogen and iodine in hydroiodic acid, making it a very strong acid.

Binary Acids are one of two classes of acids, the second being the oxoacids, which consist of a hydrogen, oxygen, and some other element.

The names of binary acids begin with hydro- followed by the name of the other element modified to end with -ic.