Halogens react with oxygen to form many oxoacids , commonly named as hypohalous acid , halous acid , halic acid and perhalic acid . The halogen(s) which form (s) halous acid is/are

Options

A. `F_(2)`
B. `Cl_(2)`
C. `Cl_(2) , Br_(2)` and `I_(2)`
D. `F_(2) , Cl_(2)` and `Br_(2)`

Answer

To determine which halogen(s) form halous acid, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Types of Halous Acids
Halogens react with oxygen to form various oxoacids. The halous acid has a specific general formula and oxidation state. The general formula for halous acid is HOXO, where X represents the halogen. The oxidation state for halous acid is +3.

### Step 2: Identify the Halogens
The halogens in the periodic table include fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and iodine (I). We need to check which of these can form halous acids.

### Step 3: Analyze the Formation of Halous Acid
From the information provided:
- Hypohalous acids (HOX) can be formed by all halogens (F, Cl, Br, I).
- Halous acids (HOXO) can only be formed by chlorine (Cl) as indicated by the compound HOClO.

### Step 4: Conclusion
Based on the analysis, the only halogen that forms halous acid is chlorine (Cl).

### Final Answer
The halogen which forms halous acid is chlorine (Cl).

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