Hypochlorites

Hypochlorites are the salts of an unstable liypnchlorous acid, HC10. This acid is only obtained in dilute solutions, and is readily decomposed on exposure to light: 2HC10 = 2HC1 + 0?. The hypochlorites themselves show also this instability, and of them the most important is the calcium salt which is contained in bleaching powder (q.v.). The other hypochlorites, as well as the acid itself, possess bleaching powers, all owing to the liberation of oxygen.