3.3.3

Chlorine & Chlorate(I)

Test yourself

Reactions of Chlorine

Chlorine reacts with water in different ways depending on the conditions. The different products have some practical uses.

Illustrative background for With waterIllustrative background for With water ?? "content

With water

  • The equation for this reaction is:
    • Cl2(g) + H2O(l) ⇌ HCl(aq) + HClO(aq) ⇌ 2H+(aq) + ClO(aq) + Cl(aq)
  • This reaction is used in water treatment to kill bacteria.
Illustrative background for With water and in sunlightIllustrative background for With water and in sunlight ?? "content

With water and in sunlight

  • The same reaction happens with water. But in sunlight, a further reaction can happen.
  • In sunlight, the chlorate(I) ion produced will decompose to produce hydrochloric acid and oxygen. The equation for this reaction is:
    • 2HClO(aq) ⇌ 2HCl(aq) + O2(g)
  • So the overall equation can be written as:
    • 2Cl2(g) + 2H2O(l) ⇌ 4HCl(aq) + O2(g)

Practical Uses of Chlorine

The reactions of water and chlorine have some practical uses.

Illustrative background for Water treatmentIllustrative background for Water treatment ?? "content

Water treatment

  • Chlorine is added to the water supply to try to make it safe to drink.
  • But the treatment has risks:
    • Chlorine gas is toxic.
    • Liquid chlorine on the skin or eyes causes burns.
    • Water contains trace organic compounds. Chlorine will chlorinate hydrocarbons and many of these chlorinated hydrocarbons are carcinogenic.
Illustrative background for Benefits of water treatmentIllustrative background for Benefits of water treatment ?? "content

Benefits of water treatment

  • Water treatment kills harmful bacteria.
  • The increased cancer risk is small, but a cholera epidemic would kill thousands.
  • Some people complain about this forced mass medication, but this prevents thousands of deaths every year and on balance is good for society.
Illustrative background for Making bleachIllustrative background for Making bleach ?? "content

Making bleach

  • When Cl2 is added to sodium hydroxide, you get sodium chlorate(I) and sodium chloride.
    • This is an example of a disproportionation reaction.
    • This means chlorine is both oxidised and reduced at the same time.
  • Cl2 has oxidation state 0, Cl- has oxidation state -1 and chlorate(I) has oxidation state +1.

Jump to other topics

1Physical Chemistry

2Physical Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

3Inorganic Chemistry

4Inorganic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

5Organic Chemistry 1

6Organic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)

6.1Optical Isomerism (A2 Only)

6.2Aldehydes & Ketones (A2 Only)

6.3Carboxylic Acids & Esters (A2 Only)

6.4Aromatic Chemistry (A2 Only)

6.5Amines (A2 Only)

6.6Polymers (A2 Only)

6.7Biological Organic (A2 Only)

6.8Organic Synthesis (A2 Only)

6.9NMR Spectroscopy (A2 Only)

6.10Chromatography (A2 Only)

6.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Organic 2

Go student ad image

Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring

  • Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home

  • Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs

  • 30+ school subjects covered

Book a free trial lesson