Chapter 21, Problem 41P

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

How sodium perborate and sodium percarbonate work as bleaches must be explained.

Concept Introduction:

A bleaching agent is a substance that is used to decolorize other materials.

Colored materials have a group of atoms in their chemical structure that can absorb visible light of a particular color. These groups of atoms are known as chromophores. Chromophores absorb visible light of a particular color and reflect the complementary color.

Bleaching agents destroy the chromophores, by either oxidation or reduction.

Bleaching agents such as hypochloriteare oxidizing bleaches. Oxidizing bleaches work by breaking the chemical bonds in the chromophores of substances.

This is done by oxidizing the chromophore breaking the chemical bonds change the chromophore of a substance thereby decolorizing it.

Bleaches are either chlorine based, or oxygen based. Chlorine bleaches mainly contain hypochlorite and oxygen bleaches mainly contain perborates or percarbonates.