Here is an interesting theory. With the amount of chloride within the oceans, does anything think it could be possible for the early earth to make molecular oxygen via the reduction of chlorine into chloride?

Where would this cholorine come from in the first place?

Where would this cholorine come from in the first place?

 

Remember, when salt dissolves in water it forms Sodium and Chloride ions:

 

[ce]NaCl_{(s)} <=> Na^{+}_{(aq)} + Cl^{-}_{(aq)}[/ce]

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

Remember' date=' when salt dissolves in water it forms Sodium and Chloride ions:

 

[ce']NaCl_{(s)} <=> Na^{+}_{(aq)} + Cl^{-}_{(aq)}[/ce]

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

Bluenoise has a very good point here. I think it is VERY unlikely that initially there was elemental chlorine. Elemental chlorine is way too reactive to survive in nature for more than a few hours. So, even in very early times, I only can imagine the presence of chloride, not of chlorine. So, the answer to the OP is 'no'.

Bluenoise has a very good point here. I think it is VERY unlikely that initially there was elemental chlorine. Elemental chlorine is way too reactive to survive in nature for more than a few hours. So, even in very early times, I only can imagine the presence of chloride, not of chlorin[/b']e. So, the answer to the OP is 'no'.

 

Thats good point, I never thought of that.

 

Elemental chlorine does not form in nature does it anyway?

So, there were chloride ions but no elmental chlorine?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

Elemental chlorine does not form in nature does it anyway?

No, at least not in appreciable amounts. I oce read something about volcanos, which could give off trace amounts of elemental chlorine (which is converted to chloride quickly anyway), but from a practical point of view, I would so 'no'.

 

So, there were chloride ions but no elmental chlorine?

Correct.