Question

The chemical name of bleaching powder is________.
A. Calcium carbonate
B. Calcium chloride
C. Calcium oxychloride
D. Calcium hydroxide

Answer 1

Hint: Bleaching powder also known as calcium hypochlorite, it is an ionic compound made up of a calcium cation and two hypochlorite anions.

Complete answer:
Bleaching powder is a yellowish white color solid substance having a strong smell of chlorine, its chemical name is calcium oxychloride and its chemical formula is ${\text{CaOC}}{{\text{l}}_2}$.
Bleaching powder is prepared on a large scale basis by passing chlorine gas through a solution of calcium hydroxide which is commonly known as slaked lime .
Chemical equation for formation of bleaching is as follows:
${\text{Ca}}{\left( {{\text{OH}}} \right)_2} + {\text{C}}{{\text{l}}_2} \to {\text{CaOC}}{{\text{l}}_2} + {{\text{H}}_2}{\text{O}}$
One mole of calcium hydroxide reacts with one mole of chlorine gas to produce one mole of calcium oxychloride which is known as bleaching powder and also gives one mole of water.
Also one of the properties of bleaching powder is that it loses chlorine on reaction with carbon dioxide.
${\text{CaOC}}{{\text{l}}_2} + {\text{C}}{{\text{O}}_2} \to {\text{CaC}}{{\text{O}}_3} + {\text{C}}{{\text{l}}_2}$
Bleaching powder is used as commercial bleach for wood pulp, textiles, oils and soaps, as a disinfectant and germicide especially in the sterilization of drinking water and also used as an oxidizing agent in many chemical industries to obtain various chemical products.

Hence the correct option is C.

Note: Bleaching powder is soluble in water but it does not give a clear solution due to the presence of impurities also it undergoes autoxidation into calcium chlorate and calcium chloride on long standing.