Environmental Chemistry: Chlorine is an active ingredient in most household blea

Question

Environmental Chemistry:

Chlorine is an active ingredient in most household bleach and is one of the most commonly used and inexpensive chemical disinfectants for water. The chlorine is in the hypochlorous acid form and hypochlorous acid is a much better disinfectant than hypochlorite, its conjugate base. If bleach is used to disinfect water, below what pH should the water be maintained so that at least 95 percent of chlorine added is the hypochlorous acid form?

Solution Posted, please explain...especially where the 95/5 ratio comes from. Thanks! (sorry it's sideways)

Explanation / Answer

Cl2 + H2O ---------------> HOCl + HCl

HOCl <=======> ClO- + H+

From the second equation, we can understand that, if 95% of chlorine added is in the hypochlorous acid form

then, 5% will be the hypohalite form.

Therefore their ratio [HOCl]/[ClO-] = 95/5.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse E
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.