Here's why:
* Early Discovery: Chlorine was initially discovered in 1774 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who was studying the reaction of hydrochloric acid with manganese dioxide. However, he incorrectly believed it was a compound containing oxygen.
* Bleaching Power: Chlorine was later recognized as an element by Humphry Davy in 1810. It was already widely known for its bleaching properties, used in a compound called "bleaching powder" or "chloride of lime."
* Chlorine's Abundance in Bleaching Powder: Bleaching powder is primarily calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO)₂), which contains a significant amount of chlorine.
Therefore, chlorine's name is directly linked to its prominent presence in a common cleaning agent.