CAIE A-Level Chemistry 11.4.2 Chlorine Water Purification Question Bank
Practise explaining how chlorine purifies water by forming HOCl or ClO-, then linking the active species to killing bacteria.
- Syllabus
- 2028–2030
- Course
- Chemistry 9701
- Level
- AS
Practise explaining how chlorine purifies water by forming HOCl or ClO-, then linking the active species to killing bacteria.
The halogens chlorine, bromine and iodine show trends in chemical and physical properties down the group.
Table 3.1 shows some properties of chlorine, bromine and iodine.

Table 3.1
Explain, with the use of an equation, how chlorine, Cl2, is used in water purification. State the role of the active species produced.
Cl2+H2O→HCl+HOCl
ClO- / HOCl kills bacteria