Chromium(II) chloride facts for kids
Chromium(II) chloride is a special chemical compound that scientists study. Its chemical formula is CrCl2. This means it's made of one chromium atom and two chlorine atoms.
It looks like a white, shiny powder, like tiny crystals. When you mix it with water, it dissolves and turns the water a bright blue color!
Chromium(II) chloride is known as a strong reducing agent. This means it's very good at giving away electrons to other chemicals.
- If you add it to very pure water that has a little bit of acid, it can help create hydrogen gas.
- If you add it to very pure water that has a little bit of a base, it can help make chromium(II) oxide.
Contents
How is Chromium(II) Chloride Made?
Scientists can make chromium(II) chloride in a couple of ways:
- One way is to mix chromium(III) chloride with hydrogen gas and heat them up to a very high temperature.
- Another way is to use a process called reduction. This involves taking chromium(III) chloride and reacting it with zinc. The zinc helps to change the chromium(III) chloride into chromium(II) chloride.
What is Chromium(II) Chloride Used For?
Chromium(II) chloride is mainly used in science laboratories for different kinds of research. Because it's a strong reducing agent, it's helpful in many chemical reactions where electrons need to be transferred.
Related pages
Images for kids
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This is a model showing how the atoms are arranged in chromium(II) chloride tetrahydrate.
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