The key difference between chloride and chlorate is that the chloride anion contains only one atom whereas the chlorate anion contains four atoms. Furthermore, the oxidation state of chlorine in chloride anion is -1, and in chlorate anion, it is +5.
Both chloride and chlorate are anions of chlorine. Chlorine is a chemical element having the atomic number 17. According to its electron configuration, there is an unpaired electron in its outermost p orbital. This unpaired electron makes chlorine highly reactive. It forms various anions including chloride and chlorate. Let us talk more details on them.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Chloride
3. What is Chlorate
4. Similarities Between Chloride and Chlorate
5. Side by Side Comparison – Chloride vs Chlorate in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Chloride?
Chloride is an anion of chlorine that has the chemical formula Cl–. According to the electron configuration of a chlorine atom, it has an unpaired electron in its outermost p orbital. Therefore, it tends to obtain an electron from the outside in order to complete its electrons. This incoming electron has a negative charge. Thus, it gives the chlorine atom an extra negative charge and forms the chloride ion.
The molar mass of this anion is 35.5 g/mol. It equals the molar mass of chlorine atom because the mass of an electron is negligible when we compare it with the masses of neutrons and protons. However, this anion is larger than a chlorine atom. Moreover, it is diamagnetic. Most of the compounds containing this anion are highly water soluble. When considering the occurrence of this anion, sea water contains around 1.94% chloride ions.
What is Chlorate?
Chlorate is an anion of chlorine that has the chemical formula ClO−3. This anion has one chlorine atom bound to three oxygen atoms; two Cl=O bonds and one Cl-O bond. In addition to that, this anion has a lone electron pair on the chlorine atom. Due to this structure, this anion has multiple resonance structures. Therefore, the chlorine atom is in the +5 oxidation state here. The geometry of this anion is trigonal pyramidal geometry.
Figure 02: Chemical Structure of Chlorate Ion
This chemical species acts as a powerful oxidizer. It means that it can easily oxidize other material while reducing itself. We can produce compounds containing these ions in the laboratory. For example, the reaction between chlorine gas and hot KOH forms potassium chlorate (KClO3). However, the natural occurrence of these compounds is not yet confirmed. Moreover, the compounds containing these anions are relatively toxic.
What are the Similarities Between Chloride and Chlorate?
- Both these are anions
- They both carry a net -1 electrical charge
- Chloride and Chlorate are derivatives of chlorine
What is the Difference Between Chloride and Chlorate?
Chloride is an anion of chlorine that has the chemical formula Cl–. It has a single atom. The molar mass of this ion is 35.5 g/mol. Further, the oxidation state of chlorine in this ion is -1. Chlorate is an anion of chlorine that has the chemical formula ClO−3. It has four atoms. This is the key difference between chloride and chlorate. Moreover, the molar mass of chlorate is 83.4 g/mol. In addition to that, the oxidation state of chlorine in this ion is +5.
Summary – Chloride vs Chlorate
Both chloride and chlorate are anions derived from chlorine. The difference between chloride and chlorate is that the chloride anion contains only one atom whereas the chlorate anion contains four atoms. Also, the oxidation state of chlorine in chloride anion is -1, and in chlorate anion, it is +5.