Question

Which of the following is deliquescent?
(A)- $ZnC{{l}_{2}}$
(B)- $H{{g}_{2}}C{{l}_{2}}$
(C)- $HgC{{l}_{2}}$
(D)- $CdC{{l}_{2}}$

Answer 1

Hint: The property of a substance to absorb water and moisture from the air to dissolve itself and form an aqueous solution is known as deliquescence.

Complete answer:
-Hygroscopic substances are a class of substances that absorbs moisture from the air. Deliquescent materials belong to the hygroscopic class of the substances.
-A deliquescent substance must absorb a large amount of water which should be sufficient enough to dissolve itself in it.
-The most common examples of deliquescent substances are sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxides, ammonium chloride, gold(III) chloride, sodium nitrate, magnesium chloride, ferric chloride, carnallite, potassium carbonate, potassium phosphate ferric ammonium citrate, ammonium nitrate, and calcium chloride.
-$ZnC{{l}_{2}}$ , Zinc chloride is a colorless or white colored chemical compound that is highly soluble in water. Zinc chloride is deliquescent and forms acidic solutions when dissolved in polar solvents such as water, ether, and acetone.

So the correct answer is option A.

Note:
Some of the chemical compounds which are deliquescent are produced in the chemistry industry by drying tubes. A drying tube, also known as a guard tube is a tube-like apparatus in which at the end of the tube is a ground glass which is used for connecting the drying tube to a reaction vessel, to keep the vessel free from moisture. The drying tube is often bent at about $90{}^\circ $ and has dimensions as 1-2 cm wide and 5-10 cm length. The drying tube is filled with a rechargeable desiccant like calcium chloride and the open end of the drying tube is partially blocked with glass wool, wool, bung, or a cork.