The number of hydrogen atom(s) attached to phosphorous atom in hypophosphorous acid is: (a) Zero (b) Two (c) One (d) Three

Understanding the chemical formula of a substance can unlock a lot of information about its properties and structure. Hypophosphorous acid has a chemical formula represented by (H3PO2). This seemingly simple line of characters represents a molecule composed of three hydrogen atoms (H), one phosphorus atom (P), and two oxygen atoms (O).
The formula highlights the basis of its chemistry, primarily its reactivity and acidic nature. The presence of hydrogen atoms in acids, like hypophosphorous acid, is essential because these hydrogen ions (H+) are what make a solution acidic when they dissociate in water. The '3' in H3PO2 indicates there are three hydrogen atoms within each molecule of hypophosphorous acid, playing a crucial role in both the structure and chemical behavior of the acid.

The structural representation of acids, including hypophosphorous acid, provides a visual perspective of the molecular arrangement and bond connectivity. This insight is critical for understanding the acid's characteristics and its reactions with other substances. In the structural formula of (H3PO2), we can visualize how the atoms are bonded.
The phosphorus atom is at the center of the molecule. It forms two bonds with oxygen atoms, creating a PO2 unit, and one bond with a hydrogen atom. The remaining two hydrogen atoms are typically represented as bonding with the oxygen, forming hydroxyl groups (-OH).
Understanding this structural arrangement helps clarify how the molecule behaves in different chemical environments. For example, the bond between hydrogen and oxygen in the hydroxyl group is polar, meaning it has a slight charge imbalance. This polarity is why such groups can participate in hydrogen bonding and are often sites of chemical reactivity in acids.

In chemistry, hydrogen atoms define the very essence of an acid. The behavior of hydrogen atoms in molecules like hypo phosphorous acid is fundamental to the acid's identity and function. Acids are substances that can donate hydrogen ions (H+), particularly in water, leading to an increase in the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution.
In the case of hypophosphorous acid, with the formula (H3PO2), one hydrogen atom is directly bonded to the phosphorous atom. This particular hydrogen is the one responsible for the characteristic of hypophosphorous acid's acidity when it dissociates and releases an (H+) ion. The other two hydrogen atoms are connected to oxygen atoms as part of hydroxyl (-OH) groups.
Understanding the role of hydrogen in acids like H3PO2 helps explain why the substance behaves as an acid when dissolved in water and highlights the acid's potential reactivity regarding deprotonation, which is the loss of a positively charged hydrogen ion, in various chemical reactions.