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Chlorine And Bleaching

Mediumchemistry

The bleaching action of chlorine in moist conditions is mainly due to:

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About This Question

Subject
chemistry
Chapter
p-block elements
Topic
chlorine and bleaching
Difficulty
Medium
Year
2025
Tags
ChlorineBleachingHOCl

Solution

Correct Answer:

formation of HOCl that releases nascent oxygen for oxidation

When chlorine dissolves in water, it forms HCl and HOCl. Hypochlorous acid is unstable and effectively provides oxidizing species that destroy the chromophoric groups in colored substances. Hence bleaching by chlorine is oxidative and requires moisture.

This medium difficulty chemistry question is from the chapter p-block elements, covering the topic of chlorine and bleaching. It appeared in the 2025 exam.

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