A method for the estimation of pK(a) from empirically calculated atomic charges has been developed and tested on a diverse set of organic oxyacids. The approach involves a comparison of the atomic charges calculated for both the acid and the negative ion that is formed after loss of the acidic proton. These charges have been used in conjunction with the familiar concepts of induction and resonance to develop an accurate formula to predict pK(a). Results for a set of 135 compounds, including alcohols, phenols, and carboxylic acids, yielded a fit of pK(a) with r = 0.993 and an rms error of 0.455. (C) 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.