Question

what is the formula for sulfurous acid? so₂ hso₄ h₂so₄ h₂so₃

Explanation:

Sulfurous acid is a compound composed of hydrogen, sulfur, and oxygen. The naming of acids often follows certain rules. For sulfur - containing acids, when the suffix is “-ous”, the oxidation state of sulfur is lower compared to the “-ic” counterpart. In sulfurous acid, sulfur has an oxidation state of + 4.

• \(SO_{2}\) is sulfur dioxide, a non - acid compound.
• \(HSO_{4}\) is not a stable formula. The correct formula for sulfate ion is \(SO_{4}^{2 -}\), and if it were an acid, it would be \(H_{2}SO_{4}\) (sulfuric acid, where sulfur has an oxidation state of + 6).
• \(H_{2}SO_{4}\) is sulfuric acid.
• For sulfurous acid, based on the valence of elements (H has a valence of + 1, S has a valence of + 4, and O has a valence of - 2), using the rule of charge balance (\(2\times(+1)+(+4)+3\times(- 2)=0\)), the formula is \(H_{2}SO_{3}\).

Answer:

\(H_{2}SO_{3}\)