Chlorine (Properties, Test & Uses)

Topic Content:

Physical Properties of Chlorine:

1. It is a greenish-yellow gas with a choking smell.

2. It is moderately soluble in water.

3. It is two and a half times denser than air.

4. It liquefies at −34 °C and 6 atmosphere.”

5. It is poisonous. As little as 20 parts per million can cause damage to the lungs.

Chemical Properties of Chlorine:

Chlorine has a high electronegativity and a high electron affinity. Chlorine gains 1 electron from metals to form a negatively charged chloride ion, Cl^– as in electrovalent compoundsAn electrovalent or ionic bond is formed when a metal atom transfers one or more electrons to a non-metal atom. Ionic or electrovalent compounds are those compounds which are formed by... More like NaCl and CaCl.

Chlorine shares a pair of electrons in a single covalent bond with another atom with a fairly similar electronegativity. Cl-Cl and H-Cl.

Reaction of Chlorine with Water:

Chlorine reacts with water (by bubbling chlorine through water) to form hydrochloric and hypochlorous(I), or oxochlorate(I), acids.

Cl_2(g) + H₂ O_(l)  → HCl_(aq) + HClO_(aq)

The hypochlorous(I) acid decomposes slowly to hydrogen chloride and oxygen when exposed to sunlight.

\( \scriptsize 2HClO_{(aq)} \overset{sunlight}{\normalsize \rightarrow} 2HCl_{(aq)} \:+\: O_{2(g)} \)

Reaction of Chlorine with Alkalis:

Chlorine, Cl₂ , reacts