Why is chlorine and water a disproportionation reaction?

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Answer 1 · 2018-06-25T09:14:59

I think you refer to the disproportionation of elemental chlorine to chloride anion, and hypochlorous acid....

And we can go thru the rigmarole of redox transtions…

$"Elemental chlorine is reduced (i):"$

$1/2Cl_2 +e^(-) rarr Cl^-$

$"Elemental chlorine is oxidized to hypochlorous acid (ii):"$

$1/2Cl_2 + H_2O(l) rarr HOstackrel(+I)Cl+ +H^+ +e^(-)$

And we adds $(i)+(ii)$ to get....

$Cl_2 + H_2O(l) rarr HOstackrel(+I)Cl+ +HCl(aq)$

The given equation is balanced with respect to mass and charge, as indeed it MUST be if we purport to represent chemical reality...