Final answer:
The formula mass of chlorous acid (HClO2) is 69.45 amu.To calculate the formula mass, we multiply the atomic masses of each element by their respective quantities in the formula and sum .
Step-by-step explanation:
The formula mass of chlorous acid (HClO2) can be calculated by adding up the atomic masses of its constituent elements. The atomic mass of hydrogen (H) is 1.008 amu, the atomic mass of chlorine (Cl) is 35.45 amu, and the atomic mass of oxygen (O) is 16.00 amu. To calculate the formula mass, we multiply the atomic masses of each element by their respective quantities in the formula and sum them up:
(1 x 1.008) + (1 x 35.45) + (2 x 16.00) = 69.45 amu
Therefore, the formula mass of chlorous acid is 69.45 amu (to two decimal places). To calculate the formula mass for chlorous acid, we first need to know its chemical formula, which is HClO2. We then find the atomic masses for each element (to two decimal places) and multiply by the number of atoms of that element in the formula.