Acids do not show acidic behaviour in the absence of water but do so in water. Justify this statement with the help of a chemical equation.

(N/A) Acids ionize in an aqueous medium to produce hydrogen ions $(H^+)$. These hydrogen ions cannot exist independently; they combine with water molecules to form hydronium ions $(H_3O^+)$. Since the presence of these ions is essential for exhibiting acidic properties,acids only show acidic behavior in the presence of water.
Chemical equation:
$H^+ + H_2O \to H_3O^+$
These hydrogen ions are represented as $H^+(aq)$ or hydronium ions $(H_3O^+)$.