Concept:Bleaching powder is chemically calcium hypochlorite,
Ca(OCl)2​, which acts as an oxidizing agent, not a reducing agent.
Explanation:Bleaching powder is a yellowish powder with a strong chlorine smell.
It is soluble in water and is prepared as:
Ca(OH)2​+Cl2​→CaOCl2​+H2​O.
The important uses of bleaching powder include:
• Bleaching wood pulp in paper factories
• Bleaching linen and cotton in textile industries
• Disinfecting drinking water
• Cleaning bathrooms and sanitizing swimming pools
It is used as an oxidizing agent because it can accept electrons from other substances and cause them to lose electrons.
A reducing agent donates electrons, while an oxidizing agent accepts electrons.
Since bleaching powder accepts electrons, it is an oxidizing agent, not a reducing agent.
Thus, the statement that it is used as a reducing agent in chemical industries is false.
Answer:Option A: It is used as a reducing agent in chemical industries — is NOT true for bleaching powder.