In nature, chloride is found primarily in seawater, which has a chloride ion concentration of 19400 mg/liter. Several neutral chlorine oxides are also known. Other oxyanions Ĭhlorine can assume oxidation states of −1, +1, +3, +5, or +7. The concentration of chloride in an assay can be determined using a chloridometer, which detects silver ions once all chloride in the assay has precipitated via this reaction.Ĭhlorided silver electrodes are commonly used in ex vivo electrophysiology. A solution containing chloride ions will produce a white silver chloride precipitate: Cl − + Ag + → AgCl The presence of halide ions like chloride can be detected using silver nitrate. Ionic chloride salts reaction with other salts to exchange anions. Chloride can be protonated by strong acids, such as sulfuric acid: In terms of its acid–base properties, chloride is a weak base as indicated by the negative value of the p K a of hydrochloric acid. Chlorine can be further oxidized to other oxides and oxyanions including hypochlorite (ClO −, the active ingredient in chlorine bleach), chlorine dioxide (ClO 2), chlorate ( ClO − The first oxidation, as employed in the chlor-alkali process, is conversion to chlorine gas. In aqueous solution, chloride is bonded by the protic end of the water molecules.Ĭhloride can be oxidized but not reduced. In aqueous solution, it is highly soluble in most cases however, for some chloride salts, such as silver chloride, lead(II) chloride, and mercury(I) chloride, they are only slightly soluble in water. The chlorine atom's hold on the valence shell is weaker because the chloride anion has one more electron than it does. Other examples of covalent chlorides are carbon tetrachloride CCl 4, sulfuryl chloride SO 2Cl 2 and monochloramine NH 2Cl.Ī chloride ion (diameter 167 pm) is much larger than a chlorine atom (diameter 99 pm). For example, methyl chloride CH 3Cl is an organic compound with a covalent C−Cl bond in which the chlorine is not an anion. The chloride is also a neutral chlorine atom covalently bonded by a single bond to the rest of the molecule. Other examples of ionic chlorides are calcium chloride CaCl 2 and ammonium chloride Cl. It is an essential electrolyte located in all body fluids responsible for maintaining acid/base balance, transmitting nerve impulses and regulating liquid flow in and out of cells. Chloride salts such as sodium chloride are often soluble in water.

The chloride ion is an anion (negatively charged ion) with the charge Cl.

The pronunciation of the word 'chloride' is / ˈ k l ɔːr aɪ d/. The term chloride refers either to a chloride ion ( Cl −), which is a negatively charged chlorine atom, or a non-charged chlorine atom covalently bonded to the rest of the molecule by a single bond ( −Cl).

Atomic mass of magnesium chloride