Sulfur dichloride facts for kids
Sulfur dichloride, also known as sulfur(II) chloride, is a special kind of chemical compound. Think of a chemical compound as two or more different elements joined together. Its chemical formula is SCl2. This formula tells us that one molecule of sulfur dichloride has one sulfur atom and two chlorine atoms.
In this compound, sulfur is in what chemists call a +2 oxidation state. This describes how many electrons an atom has gained or lost when it forms a chemical bond. It also contains chloride ions, which are chlorine atoms that have gained an electron.
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What it Looks Like and How it Behaves
Sulfur dichloride is a red liquid. It has a very strong and noticeable smell. It's one of the more common compounds that sulfur and chlorine form together.
When sulfur dichloride mixes with water, it reacts to create two new substances: hydrochloric acid and sulfur dioxide. Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid, and sulfur dioxide is a gas often linked to volcanic eruptions.
If sulfur dichloride gets old, it might start to have some extra chlorine mixed in with it. It can also react with other chemicals called fluorides to make a different compound called sulfur tetrafluoride.
How it is Made
Scientists make sulfur dichloride by combining chlorine gas with sulfur. During this process, another compound called Disulfur dichloride is often formed first. This means disulfur dichloride is an "intermediate" step. It can also be found as a common impurity (something unwanted mixed in) in the final sulfur dichloride product.
Other Sulfur and Chlorine Compounds
Here are some other interesting compounds that involve sulfur or chlorine:
See also
In Spanish: Cloruro de azufre(II) para niños
