Page 12 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

Chlorine and combustion
Chlorine is a very reactive element because it is an oxidising agent. In other words, materials will burn (combust) easily in chlorine. This can be an unusual sight because we are so used to materials burning in air. Furthermore, some materials actually catch fire when they are placed in chlorine and the reaction generates a large amount of heat (it is an exothermic reaction).
EQUATION: Chlorine reacts with finely divided copper
Chlorine
Chlorine + copper ➪ copper chloride +
Cl2(g) + Cu(s) ➪ CuCl2(s)
Copper
 Finely divided copper (Dutch metal) spontaneously catches fire when put in chlorine, showing that chlorine is an oxidising agent.
 Dutch metal reacts
with chlorine to produce fine particles of copper chloride, seen as the dense smoke.
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 The smoke and gas fill the gas jar.
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