Step 1: Acknowledge that HCl is a strong acid and fully dissociates in water: \[ \text{HCl} \rightarrow \text{H}^+ + \text{Cl}^-. \] Consequently, the concentration of H\(^+\) ions is equivalent to the HCl concentration, which is 0.01 M.
Step 2: Compute the pH using the formula \( \text{pH} = -\log_{10}[\text{H}^+] \). Input the H\(^+\) concentration: \[ \text{pH} = -\log_{10}(0.01) = -\log_{10}(10^{-2}) = -(-2) = 2. \]
Step 3: Confirm the outcome. A pH of 2 is expected for a 0.01 M solution of a strong acid, aligning with the calculation.