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Multiple Choice

Which chemical formula represents hydrogen chloride?

Hydrogen chloride is a simple binary compound formed from hydrogen and chlorine in a 1:1 ratio. The chemical symbols for these elements are H and Cl, and when combined in equal amounts you write them together as HCl. This distinguishes it from water, which is H2O (two hydrogens and one oxygen), from hypochlorous acid HOCl (one hydrogen, one oxygen, one chlorine), or from dihydrogen gas H2 (two hydrogens with no chlorine). So the correct formula that represents hydrogen chloride is HCl.

Hydrogen chloride is a simple binary compound formed from hydrogen and chlorine in a 1:1 ratio. The chemical symbols for these elements are H and Cl, and when combined in equal amounts you write them together as HCl. This distinguishes it from water, which is H2O (two hydrogens and one oxygen), from hypochlorous acid HOCl (one hydrogen, one oxygen, one chlorine), or from dihydrogen gas H2 (two hydrogens with no chlorine). So the correct formula that represents hydrogen chloride is HCl.