How to calculate the pH of 0.120 M of HClO2? plssss i need the answer asap.

........HClO2 + H2O ==> H3O^+ + ClO2^-

I.....0.120..............0.......0
C........-x..............x.......x
E.....0.120-x............x.......x

Substitute the E line into the Ka expression for HClO2 and solve for x = (H^+), then convert to pH = -log(H^+)

To calculate the pH of a solution of HClO2, you need to use the dissociation constant of the acid (K_a) and the concentration of the acid (HClO2).

Step 1: Write the balanced equation for the dissociation of HClO2 in water:
HClO2 ⇌ H+ + ClO2-

Step 2: Identify the K_a value for HClO2. This value can be found in reference sources or given in the problem statement. The K_a for HClO2 is approximately 1.2 × 10^(-2).

Step 3: Set up an ICE (Initial, Change, Equilibrium) table. Since we have the initial concentration (0.120 M), we can enter this value in the "Initial" row for HClO2. The "Change" row represents the change in concentration as the acid dissociates. The "Equilibrium" row represents the concentration of the different species at equilibrium.

HClO2 ⇌ H+ + ClO2-
I 0.120 0 0
C -x x x
E 0.120-x x x

Step 4: Write the expression for the equilibrium constant (K_a) using the concentrations at equilibrium:
K_a = [H+][ClO2-] / [HClO2]

Step 5: Substitute the equilibrium concentrations into the equilibrium constant expression and solve for x:
1.2 × 10^(-2) = x^2 / (0.120-x)

Since the concentration of H+ ions is equal to the concentration of ClO2- ions (x), we can rewrite the equation as:
1.2 × 10^(-2) = x^2 / (0.120-x)^2

Step 6: Solve the quadratic equation for x using the quadratic formula or an online calculator. The value of x represents the concentration of H+ (and ClO2-) ions.

Step 7: Once you have the value of x, calculate the pH using the formula:
pH = -log[H+]

Now that you know the general steps required to calculate the pH of a solution of HClO2, you can perform the calculations and get the desired answer.