Composition and Active Ingredient Percentage in Commercial Samples

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Detailed Solution

Commercial bleaching powder is not a pure compound. It is a yellowish-white powder that is a complex mixture of several substances. Its typical composition includes:

Calcium Hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)₂): This is the active ingredient responsible for all its bleaching and disinfecting properties.
Calcium Hydroxide (Ca(OH)₂): This is unreacted slaked lime left over from the manufacturing process.
Calcium Chloride (CaCl₂): This is a byproduct of the reaction. It is also hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air), which can contribute to the decomposition of the powder.
Water (H₂O): Some water is present, both as a byproduct and from moisture absorption.

Active Ingredient Percentage

The strength or quality of commercial bleaching powder is measured by the amount of "available chlorine" it can release when it reacts with an acid. This is expressed as a percentage by weight.

A good quality, stable commercial sample of bleaching powder typically contains 35% to 40% available chlorine.

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