Selenous acid

Selenous acid, also known as selenious acid, is a chemical compound. Its chemical formula is H2SeO3. It is an acid. It contains hydrogen and selenite ions.

Properties
Selenous acid is a weak acid. It can be heated to make selenium dioxide. It is more stable than sulfurous acid. It can be crystallized as a white solid. It is a weak oxidizing agent. It reacts with bases to make selenites.

 Preparation 
It is made by dissolving selenium dioxide in water.

Uses
It is used to dye steel a blue-grey color. It is used in the making of organic compounds.

Safety
Selenous acid is very toxic. Just ingesting a small amount can kill a person.

Related pages
Selenic acid
Hydroselenic acid

Sources

Category:Oxoacids
Category:Selenium compounds