Bleaching damp litmus paper indicates the presence of which gas?

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Multiple Choice

Bleaching damp litmus paper indicates the presence of which gas?

Explanation:
Bleaching damp litmus paper is a telltale sign of chlorine gas. When chlorine dissolves in the moisture on the paper, it forms hypochlorous acid (and HCl) via Cl2 + H2O ⇌ HCl + HOCl. HOCl is a powerful bleaching agent, so it removes the colour from damp litmus, turning blue litmus paper white. The other gases don’t produce this bleaching effect: hydrogen and oxygen don’t bleach damp litmus, and ammonia would make litmus blue (because it’s basic) rather than bleach it.

Bleaching damp litmus paper is a telltale sign of chlorine gas. When chlorine dissolves in the moisture on the paper, it forms hypochlorous acid (and HCl) via Cl2 + H2O ⇌ HCl + HOCl. HOCl is a powerful bleaching agent, so it removes the colour from damp litmus, turning blue litmus paper white. The other gases don’t produce this bleaching effect: hydrogen and oxygen don’t bleach damp litmus, and ammonia would make litmus blue (because it’s basic) rather than bleach it.

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