Which term describes a bronsted acid that can donate more than one proton per molecule?

• A. Polyprotic acid
• B. Hydrolysis reaction
• C. Buffer Solution
• D. Strong acid (or base)

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how many protons an acid can donate under Bronsted-Lowry concepts. A Bronsted acid that can donate more than one proton per molecule is a polyprotic acid. That means the molecule has multiple ionizable hydrogens and can lose them in separate steps, producing successive conjugate bases. For example, sulfuric acid can shed two protons in steps, and phosphoric acid can shed three, though each step may have a different strength.

This fits best because the term specifically describes the capacity to donate multiple protons, not just how a reaction occurs (hydrolysis), how a solution resists pH change (buffer), or how completely an acid dissociates regardless of proton count (strong acid).