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Periodic Table and Energy

The halogens: boiling points, London forces and reactivity

  • 1 thing to know
  • Components 01 and 03

Overview

Recall questions on the diatomic molecules, why boiling point rises down the group through polarisability and London forces, and the outer configuration they share.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Numbers

How does polarisability change down Group 7, what does greater polarisability do to the dipoles, and why do stronger London forces give higher boiling points?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What molecular form do the halogens chlorine, bromine and iodine exist as?

    Model answer

    Diatomic molecules (Cl₂, Br₂, I₂)

  2. 2

    How do the boiling points of halogens change going from chlorine to bromine to iodine?

    Model answer

    Boiling points increase down the group from Cl₂ to Br₂ to I₂

  3. 3

    How does atomic size change down Group 7, and what effect does this have on electron number?

    Model answer

    Larger atoms have more electrons

  4. 4

    What is the effect of having more electrons on the polarisability of halogen atoms?

    Model answer

    More electrons means greater polarisability

  5. 5

    How does greater polarisability affect the dipoles formed in halogen molecules?

    Model answer

    Greater polarisability leads to stronger instantaneous and induced dipoles

  6. 6

    Why do halogens with stronger London forces have higher boiling points?

    Model answer

    Stronger London forces require more energy to overcome, so more thermal energy is needed to separate molecules into the gas phase

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AThe first step is Cl• + O₃ → ClO• + O₂.
BThe second step is ClO• + O → Cl• + O₂.
CThe overall equation is O₃ + O → 2O₂.

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In ClO⁻, chlorine has oxidation number +1.
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