Q1. Which salt is used to remove the permanent hardness of water?
Explanation
Permanent hardness is mainly caused by calcium and magnesium sulphates or chlorides. Washing soda, sodium carbonate decahydrate, Na2CO3.10H2O, removes this hardness by precipitating calcium and magnesium ions as insoluble carbonates. Bleaching powder, CaOCl2, is used chiefly for disinfection and bleaching, not for removing permanent hardness. Sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3, is not the standard salt used for this purpose. Gypsum, CaSO4.2H2O, is itself a calcium salt and can contribute to hardness rather than remove it.
