[Needaask]

When chlorine dissolves in water, it forms HCl and oxygen. In my notes, the chlorine is written as a gas while the HCl is aqueous. However, wouldn't some of the chlorine gas dissolve to form aqueous chlorine gas as well? So in water we would have HCl and aqueous chlorine rather than just HCl?

[Borek]

Actually it is more complicated, as there are several equilibria involved. Aqueous chlorine reacts with water to produce HCl and HClO, the latter decomposes to HCl and O₂, but some of the gaseous chlorine escapes the solution as well. HCl and HClO are present only in aqueous form, chlorine and oxygen other can be either dissolved (aq) or gaseous (g).

[billnotgatez]

WIKI discusses this as well
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine#Hydrolysis_of_free_chlorine_or_disproportionation_in_water

[Needaask]

Actually it is more complicated, as there are several equilibria involved. Aqueous chlorine reacts with water to produce HCl and HClO, the latter decomposes to HCl and O₂, but some of the gaseous chlorine escapes the solution as well. HCl and HClO are present only in aqueous form, chlorine and oxygen other can be either dissolved (aq) or gaseous (g).

Hi borek thanks for the reply

In this case how would we find the equilibrium of the three reactions? Because I've only learned the ice table for one reaction only.

Thanks

[Borek]

You can still express total equilibrium as one equation. But the final approach will depend on what you really want to calculate.

[Needaask]

You can still express total equilibrium as one equation. But the final approach will depend on what you really want to calculate.

Hmm how should we do that? Because wont there be a Keq for each of the three equations Cl2(g) Cl2(aq)
Cl2(g)+H2O(l) HCl(aq)+HClO(aq)
2HClO(aq) 2HCl(aq)+O2(g)

I'm not too sure to apply the ice table here because in my module we've only done one ice table for just 1 equation. How should we do that here?

Thanks for the help 

[Borek]

Write separate equilibrium constants, write total equilibrium constant, see if the latter can be expressed with the former ones.