what is the difference between hydrogen chloride and hydrochloric acid?

HCl gas is molecular HCl in the gaseous phase and is anhydrous, while HCl acid is HCl in solution with water (an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride), and can be said to be in the form H+ Cl-.  It is this dissociation of the molecule into constituent ions which gives an acid its properties.

Due to this reason in a chemical reaction written, it appears as HCl(g) or HCl(l).

  • -1
What are you looking for?