Chlorine is the second lightest halogen and is represented as Cl. The atomic number of this chemical element is 17.
It appears as a pale yellow-green gas. Liquid chlorine can cause skin burn and chlorine in its gaseous form irritates the mucous membrane. Its position in the periodic table is between fluorine and bromine. Its electronic configuration is [Ne]3s23p5. There are two isotopes of chlorine that are stable.
They are 37Cl and 35Cl. 36Cl is the stable radioisotope of chlorine. Sodium chloride is the most common compound of chlorine whereas the simplest is hydrogen chloride. Sodium chloride has a molecular formula NaCl whereas hydrogen chloride has a molecular formula HCl. It is highly reactive.
Carl Wilhelm Scheele who was a Swedish chemist discovered Chlorine in the year 1774.
| Cl | Chlorine |
| Atomic Number | 17 |
| Atomic weight | 35.453 |
| Melting Point | −101.5 °C |
| Boiling Point | −34.04 °C |
Chlorine is the second halogen in the periodic table, being a nonmetal in group 17. Hence, its properties are similar to fluorine, bromine, and iodine, and are generally intermediate among those of the first two. Chlorine has the electron configuration [Ne]3s23p5, with the seven electrons serving as its valence electrons in the third and outermost shell. As all halogens, it is thus one electron short of a full octet, and is thus a strong oxidizing agent, interacting with other elements to complete its outer shell.
This element is intermediate in the electronegativity between fluorine and bromine (the electronegativity of fluorine is 3.98, the electronegativity of chlorine is: 3.16, the electronegativity of bromine is 2.96, and the electronegativity of iodine is 2.66). This element is less reactive than fluorine and more reactive than bromine, in line with periodic patterns. Even though it is a weaker oxidizing agent than fluorine, it is stronger than bromine. In comparison, the chloride ion is a weaker reduction agent than bromide, but one stronger than fluoride.