Chlorine: A Brief Summary: Table Salt

The element that was investigated is chlorine, which was named by Sir Humphry Davy in 1810 for the Greek word chloros- meaning greenish yellow. The element was first synthesized in 1774 when the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele combined the mineral pyrolusite with the solution hydrochloric acid. Originally, Scheele believed that this newly produced gas contained the element oxygen. However, in 1810 Sir Humphry Davy proved that this gas was actually its own distinct element. The chemical symbol for Chlorine is Cl; the element has an atomic number of 17 and an atomic mass of 35.4527 amu. There are two natural isotopes for Chlorine, 35Cl and 37Cl, which have an abundance of 75.78% and 24.22% respectively. On the periodic table, chlorine
One common compound is Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Sodium Chloride, more commonly known as table salt, is used in cooking to season foods. Table salt is also used to make many chemicals, which make up the majority of the world’s production. Another common compound is Hydrogen Chloride (HCl). Hydrogen Chloride is typically combined with H2O to make hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is a colorless liquid with a strong smell that is used in the production of many products including dye, textile, rubber, and fertilizer. Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) is also a compound made using chlorine. Chlorine Dioxide is typically used as a disinfectant; it is mostly used for the disinfection of municipal drinking
Small concentrations of chlorine in gas form is easy to smell, and larger concentrations can be fatal after taking some deep breaths. The majority of harmful exposure to chlorine is through inhalation. Some side effects of inhaling chlorine are wheezing, eye irritation, skin irritation, sore throat, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. A study from 2003 also found that regularly spending time in pools disinfected with chlorine could be harmful. The study found that regular users had a greater destruction of the cell barriers protecting the deep lungs. It was even found that children who swam frequently had effects that were similar to those of regular smokers. The exposure rate to liquid chlorine is not as high, but the effect is still dangerous. Exposure to liquid chlorine typically causes injuries to the skin that are similar to those seen in frostbites. The common compound of chlorine, HCl, also has serious dangers when in gas form. Inhaling the gas form can cause things such as coughing, shortness of breath, throat sores, and spasms in the larynx. If a large enough concentration of HCl is inhaled, it can even cause fluid to build-up in the lungs over the span of a couple