Question

What is the chemical name and formula of bleach? (Not Bleaching powder, but the bleach made using chlorine and sodium hydroxide).

Answer 1

Chlorine reacts with sodium hydroxide to form sodium hypochlorite which then decomposes to give NaCl and nascent oxygen and hence act as oxidising agent i.e. act as a bleach.

2 NaOH (aq) + Cl₂ $\to$ NaCl + NaOCl + H₂O
sodium
hypochlorite
​NaOCl ​ $\to$ NaCl + [O]
nascent oxygen