Talk:Cl-

I am by no means a chemestry expert but when I studied it at school (up until last year) I was told that the ion created by an element still keeps the name when it is an ion...in other words chlorine is the element and a chlorine ion is the name for an ion of chlorine.
 * Chloride should be used when chlorine makes up a compound with something else eg. calcium chloride.

I have changed the article but if there is anyone who can find something on the internet to say I am wrong then i will obviously accept it being changed back.

The reason wikipedia states that this ion is chloride is because it is using it as part of a compound anyway.

Adam2307 21:09, 27 June 2008 (UTC)

You are correct that Cl- is still called Chlorine. The chloride name comes from the fact that the ion is not found in the aquarium typically and is the resulte of the disolution of an ionicly bonded substance, such as HCl in this case.

It offically be called a chlorine ion, but chlorine and chloride have differenet end results in the aquarium. Chloride will eventually diffuse as chlorine gas (in an ammout far to little to hurt humans), where as chlorine will remain in the water until you add declor to it.

Becasue chlorine naturally break down into chlorine ions and diffuse out of the water, which is why you have the option to let your water sit or put declor in it. Altenativly if you add the water to the tank in a high turbulance way (such as spalshing it up agaisne the tank wall) you will drasticly increase the surface area of the water and help facilitate the diffusion.

In short the chlorine ion vs. chloride is a distinction, altought scientifically incorrect, made to help keep people strait.

Of course this is my understanding of the process :) [-Brian I'm not at my computer and don't want to log-in] --68.245.243.149 15:10, 28 June 2008 (UTC)

I AM a University chemist and I can tell you for certain that chloride and chlorine are totally different. I have corrected the page to represent this. The above comments, whilst well meaning are completely incorrect. Chlorine refers only to the elemental form (e.g. chlorine gas) whereas chloride is the negatively charged anion caused by reduction of chlorine (gain of an electron).