Chlorine

» Gases

Chlorine is a greenish-yellow poisonous gas with a disagreeable, suffocating odor; it is about two and one-half times as dense as air. Only fluorine among the nonmetals is more chemically active. Chlorine belongs to the halogen family of elements, found in group VIIa of the periodic table . The gas is composed of diatomic molecules (Cl 2 ) with molecular weight 70.906. Chlorine is used in making plastics, solvents for dry cleaning and metal degreasing, agrochemicals and insecticides. Chlorine is also used in swimming pools to keep them clean.