Acids and acidity have taken on a new theoretical importance in the last thirty years, because, after the role of the hydrogen ion as the common carrier of acid properties had become established, it was discovered that this hydrogen ion or proton, besides being the lightest atomic particle was also simple in a way entirely unique among atoms, and fundamental in a way shared only with the electron. It is thus possible to say that just as oxidation-reduction reactions are uniquely characterized by electron exchange between molecules, and may be defined by the general equation Red ^Ox + ® (reductant oxidant + electron), so acid-base or protolytic reactions may be defined by the general equation (Goldschmidt, Bronsted) A^B + ® (acid base + proton).In actual practice, however, chemical reactions are always more complex than this and the typical "redox" equilibrium involves at least two oxidants and two reductants.