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How are the chlorine oxyacids HClO, HClO2, HClO3, and HClO4 named?
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oxyacid
The structure of phosphorous acid, H3PO3.
The naming of chlorine oxyacids is determined by the suffix of the corresponding anion. When an anion ends in -ate, the acid name ends in -ic; when an anion ends in -ite, the acid name ends in -ous. Additionally, prefixes are used to distinguish between the various oxidation states of chlorine in these compounds.12
The chlorine oxyacids are named as follows:
| Acid Formula | Anion | Name |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| HClO₄ | Perchlorate | Perchloric acid |
| HClO₃ | Chlorate | Chloric acid |
| HClO₂ | Chlorite | Chlorous acid |
| HClO | Hypochlorite | Hypochlorous acid |
12