Does chlorine in swimming pools have a negative or positive charge?

Answer 1

To take care of pathogens in the water, you have to introduce a disinfecting agentthat will get rid of them. The most popular pool disinfectant is the element chlorine, in the form of a chemical compound such as calcium hypochlorite (a solid) or sodium hypochlorite (a liquid). When the compound is added to the water, thechlorine reacts with the water to form various chemicals, most notably hypochlorous acid. Hypochlorous acid kills bacteria and other pathogens by attacking the lipids in the cell walls and destroying the enzymes and structures inside the cell through an oxidation reaction. Alternative sanitizers, such as bromide, do basically the same thing with slightly different results.

Chlorine is typically prepared in liquid, powder or tablet form (though some professionals use gaseous chlorine), and it can be added to the water anywhere in the cycle. Pool experts generally recommend adding it just after the filtering process, using a chemical feeder. If it's added directly into the pool, using tablets in the skimmer boxes, for example, the chlorine tends to be too concentrated in those areas.

One problem with hypochlorous acid is that it's not particularly stable. It can degrade when exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun, and it may combine with other chemicals to form new compounds. Pool chlorinators often include a stabilizing agent, such as cyanuric acid, that reacts with the chlorine to form a more stable compound that does not degrade as easily when exposed to ultraviolet light.

To answer your question, Since Chlorine doesn't dissociate into chloride ions, the question of chlorine being positive or negative doesn't arise.

Answer 2

Chlorine in Swimming Pools typically exists as the chlorine molecule (Cl2) and does not have a charge. However, when added to water, it forms various chemical species like hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hypochlorite ion (OCl-) that can carry a negative charge.