Question

Which one of the following is a correct statement?
A. Bleaching powder is a compound.
B. Bleaching powder is a mixture of calcium chloride and calcium hypochlorite
C. Bleaching powder is a mixture of calcium chloride, calcium hypochlorite and slaked lime
D. Bleaching powder is a mixture of sodium chloride and sodium hypochlorite

Answer 1

To be able to solve this question, we just need the composition of bleaching powder or the chemical formula of the bleaching powder. That will be enough to give us the result as the chemical formula represents the atoms in the correct proportion.

Complete step by step solution:
-We need to find the composition of bleaching powder to solve this question. For that we need the chemical formula of the compound. With its help, we can find out the mixture of compounds used to prepare the bleaching powder as well as the ratio of those compounds.
-The chemical formula of a compound gives us the knowledge of all the atoms or molecules associated with compounds and the ratio of those atoms and molecules in which they form the compound.
-Bleaching powder is a compound which is used in industries for various purposes as it is a good bleaching name and this is why its name is such. So, its compound has radicals which are good oxidizing agents.
-We all know that Cl is a good bleaching agent. It is used to manufacture bleaching powder. Bleaching powder is prepared when chlorine reacts on dry slaked lime and the reaction can be shown as
$Ca{{\left( OH \right)}_{2}}+C{{l}_{2}}\to CaOC{{l}_{2}}+{{H}_{2}}O$
-So, we can say that the formula for bleaching powder is $CaOC{{l}_{2}}$. Uses of bleaching powder include bleaching cotton and linen in textile industries, bleaching wood pulp in paper factories, bleaching washed clothes in laundry, as an oxidizing agent, for disinfecting drinking water.
-Thus we see the formula of bleaching powder. It is neither of the mixtures represented in the options B,C and D. It is the mixture of calcium hydroxide and chlorine.

Therefore the correct option is A.

Note: Slaked lime is the compound of calcium with the chemical formula $Ca{{\left( OH \right)}_{2}}$. So it is the common name of calcium hydroxide and is referred to as slaked lime due to its properties. We should be aware of both the chemical name as well as the common names of certain compounds used in daily life.