Question

Explain the following with their properties and uses:

1. Sodium chloride

2. Sodium bicarbonate

3. Bleaching powder

Answer 1

Sodium chloride (Table salt- NaCl):

Table salt, or common salt, which gives a salty taste to food, is the most used of all salts. Its chemical name is sodium chloride. Sodium chloride is formed by a neutralization reaction between sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid.

Properties and uses

1. Common salt is a colourless and crystalline ionic compound. There is no water of crystallization in its crystalline structure.

2. It is a neutral salt, salty in taste.

3. This compound is used for the production of salts like $N{a}_{2}C{O}_3,NaHC{O}_3.$

Sodium bicarbonate (Baking soda – $NaHC{O}_3$):

Baking soda is a white non crystalline powder. Its chemical name is sodium hydrogen carbonate or sodium bicarbonate and its molecular formula is $NaHC{O}_3$.

Properties and uses

1. NaHCO3 reacts with moist litmus paper and red litmus turns blue which means that it is basic in nature.

2. It is used to make bread, cake, dhokla.

3. Being basic in nature it is used to reduce acidity in the stomach.

Bleaching powder (Calcium oxychloride $CaOC{l}_2$):

Bleaching powder is obtained by the reaction of chlorine gas with slaked lime.

$Ca{\left(OH\right)}_2+C{l}_2\to CaOC{l}_2+H_{2}O$

Bleaching powder undergoes slow decomposition due to the carbon dioxide in air and chlorine gas being released. Bleaching powder gets its property because of this release of chlorine gas.

$CaOC{l}_2+C{O}_2\to CaC{O}_3+C{l}_2\uparrow$

Properties and uses

1. Bleaching powder is a yellowish white coloured solid substance.

2. Its chemical name is calcium oxychloride.

3. It has a strong odour of chlorine gas.

4. It is used for disinfection of drinking water at the water works and the water in the swimming pool.

5. It is used for bleaching cloth.