Chemistry 2001 JAMB Past Questions - Question 41: When chlorine is passed into water and the resulting solution exposed to sunlight, the products formed are

Correct Answer

D

Explanation

When chlorine is passed into water and the resulting solution is exposed to sunlight, a reaction known as photochemical chlorination occurs. In this reaction, chlorine reacts with water to form a mixture of products, including hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl). The overall reaction can be represented as follows:

\[ \text{Cl}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O} \xrightarrow{\text{sunlight}} \text{HOCl} + \text{HCl} \]

Here, \( \text{HOCl} \) is hypochlorous acid, and \( \text{HCl} \) is hydrochloric acid. Hypochlorous acid is a weak acid and a powerful oxidizing agent with disinfectant properties. It is often used as a water disinfectant in various applications.

It's important to note that the reaction is influenced by the presence of sunlight, which provides the energy needed to drive the photochemical chlorination process.