CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

What are good methods to determine if something is an acid or a base when looking at a chemical reaction?

When looking at a chemical reaction, in general, an acid consists of a non-metal with a hydrogen whereas a base consists of a metal with a hydrogen. If a carbon compound has a hydrogen next to an oxygen, then that usually dissociates to an acid. H is usually listed at the front of the acidic compound and at the end of a basic compound.