Question

chlorous acid
express your answer as a chemical formula.
a chemical reaction does not occur for this question.

Explanation:

Step1: Identify the acid type

Chlorous acid is an oxyacid of chlorine. The chlorite ion is $\ce{ClO_2^-}$, and acids are formed by combining the hydrogen ion ($\ce{H^+}$) with the anion.

Step2: Combine ions

To form the acid, we combine $\ce{H^+}$ and $\ce{ClO_2^-}$. The charges must balance. The charge of $\ce{H^+}$ is +1 and $\ce{ClO_2^-}$ is -1, so the formula is $\ce{HClO_2}$.

Answer:

$\ce{HClO_2}$