State two uses each of the following compounds :
(a) Sodium hydroxide
(b) Chlorine
(c) Hydrogen
(d) Hydrochloric acid
(a) Sodium hydroxide is very corrosive. It is generally used as a solid or a 50% solution. Other common names include caustic soda and lye. Sodium hydroxide is used to manufacture soaps, rayon, paper, explosives, dyestuffs, and petroleum products.
(b) Chlorine is commonly used as an antiseptic and is used to make drinking water safe and to treat swimming pools. Large amounts of chlorine are used in many industrial processes, such as in the production of paper products, plastics, dyes, textiles, medicines, antiseptics, insecticides, solvents and paints.
(c) Hydrogen also has many other uses. In the chemical industry, it is used to make ammonia for agricultural fertiliser (the Haber process) and cyclohexane and methanol, which are intermediates in the production of plastics and pharmaceuticals. It is also used to remove sulfur from fuels during the oil-refining process.
(d) Hydrochloric acid is also used in the production of batteries, photoflash bulbs and fireworks. It's even used to process sugar and make gelatin. Hydrochloric acid, like last month's chlorine compound, sodium chloride, is another "workhorse" chemical because it is incredibly useful in a wide variety of ways.