Question

Bleaching powder has a strong bleaching action due to:
a.) calcium
b.) chlorine molecule
c.) nascent oxygen
d.) chloride ion

Answer 1

Hint: The chemical name of bleaching powder is calcium oxychloride. The main aim of using bleaching powder is removing colour from materials.

Complete step by step solution:
Calcium oxychloride or bleaching powder is treated with excess dilute acids, chlorine is evolved which is responsible for the bleaching action of bleaching powder. Due to the evaluation of nascent oxygen, it acts as an oxidising and bleaching agent.
${\text{CaOC}}{{\text{l}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{ + HCl }} \to {\text{ CaOH + C}}{{\text{l}}_{\text{2}}}$
${\text{2CaOC}}{{\text{l}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{ + 2}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O}} \rightleftharpoons {\text{CaC}}{{\text{l}}_{{\text{2}}}}{\text{ + Ca(OH}}{{\text{)}}_{{\text{2}}}}{\text{ + 2HClO}}$
${\text{HClO}} \rightleftharpoons {\text{HCl + [O]}}$
Therefore, bleaching action of bleaching powder is due to nascent oxygen. So, the correct option is Option A.

Additional Information:
Bleaching powder is used for bleaching dirty clothes in the laundry, as a bleaching agent for cotton and line in the textile industry. It is a strong oxidizing agent that has been used as an oxidizer in many industries. It is used as a disinfectant which is used for disinfecting water to make portable water.
As we may know the fumes from bleach are very strong when it is inhaled it may cause a variety of health problems which is very irritating and corrosive to the skin, lumps on eyes as well. It has been known to burn human tissue internally and externally.

Note: The term nascent oxygen refers to the oxygen that has been made free only in a chemical reaction. Some people interpret this to oxygen which is made in many reactions, but others believe it to be a monatomic oxygen radical which is far more reactive.