Chlorine

Chlorine (from the Greek language Chloros, meaning "pale green"), is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is a halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. As part of common salt and other compounds, it is abundant in nature and necessary to most forms of life, including the human body. As chlorine gas, it is greenish yellow, is two and one half times as heavy as air, has an intensely disagreeable suffocating odor, and is exceedingly poisonous. In its liquid and solid form it is a powerful oxidizing, bleaching, and disinfecting agent.

History

Chlorine (Gr. χλωρος, greenish yellow) was discovered in 1774 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who mistakenly thought it contained oxygen. Chlorine was given its name in 1810 by Humphry Davy, who insisted that it was in fact an element.

Related Topics:
Gr. - 1774 - Carl Wilhelm Scheele - Oxygen - 1810 - Humphry Davy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~