When a strong acid dissociates in water, what type of ions does it produce?

When a strong acid dissociates in water, it completely ionizes to produce hydrogen ions (H⁺). This process occurs because strong acids have a high degree of ionization in aqueous solutions. For instance, when hydrochloric acid (HCl) is dissolved in water, it breaks down entirely into H⁺ and Cl⁻ ions. The presence of H⁺ ions is fundamental to the definition of acids in the Brønsted-Lowry theory, which states that acids are proton donors.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately represent the behavior of strong acids in solution. Strong acids do not produce hydroxide ions (OH⁻) alone or in conjunction with H⁺ ions. Additionally, they do not leave the solution devoid of these ions. Therefore, the correct understanding is that strong acids exclusively yield H⁺ ions upon dissociation in water, which is crucial for understanding their properties and behavior in aqueous chemistry.