Question

What is the difference between $\mathrm{Cl}$, ${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$, ${\mathrm{Cl}}_3$?

Answer 1

Chlorine atom ($\mathrm{Cl}$) :

• Chlorine ($\mathrm{Cl}$) is a chemical element.
• It is the second lightest member of the halogen elements (group 17).
• It is a non-metal.
• It is very electronegative in nature.

Chlorine gas (${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$) :

• Chlorine gas (${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$) is a diatomic molecule of Chlorine.
• It is heavier than air.
• It has an extremely suffocating odor and can be poisonous.
• It is used as a powerful oxidizing, bleaching, and disinfecting agent in liquid form.

Trichloride anion (${\mathrm{Cl}}_3$) :

• ${\mathrm{Cl}}_3$ is an anion of Chlorine.
• It is formed when a Chloride anion (${\mathrm{Cl}}^{-}$) reacts with a ${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$ molecule.
• This anion does not exist as an individual chemical species.

Difference between $\mathrm{Cl}$, ${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$, and ${\mathrm{Cl}}_3$:

$\mathrm{Cl}$	${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$	${\mathrm{Cl}}_3$
Chlorine is an element with the symbol $\mathrm{Cl}$.	${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$ is chlorine gas.	${\mathrm{Cl}}_3$ is trichloride anion.
$\mathrm{Cl}$ cannot exist freely in nature in its monoatomic form due to high instability.	${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$ can exist as an individual compound due to its high stability.	${\mathrm{Cl}}_3$ cannot exist in free state due to the highly reactive nature.
$\mathrm{Cl}$ is a single atom of Chlorine.	${\mathrm{Cl}}_2$ is a molecule having two atoms of Chlorine.	${\mathrm{Cl}}_3$ is an anion consisting of three atoms of Chlorine.
It has atomic number $17$.	It has a molecular mass of $71$.	It has a molecular mass of $106$.