Why fluorine and chlorine are gases

Alkali metals have just one valence electron, which they are equally "eager" to donate. Reactions involving halogens, especially halogens near the top of the group, may be explosive. The halogen group is quite diverse. It includes elements that occur in three different states of matter at room temperature.

Fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine is a liquid, and iodine and astatine are solids. Halogens also vary in color, as you can see in the figure below. Fluorine and chlorine are green, bromine is red, and iodine and astatine are nearly black. Like other nonmetals, halogens cannot conduct electricity or heat. Compared with most other elements, halogens have relatively low melting and boiling points. Most halogens have a variety of important uses.

A few are described in the table below. The table below gives the melting and boiling points of halogens. Create a graph with the data, and then describe in words the trends that you see in your graph. Answer at room temperature, fluorine and chlorine at room temperature, fluorine and chlorine View Answer. Topics Nonmetals Chemistry. Discussion You must be signed in to discuss. Top Chemistry Educators Nadia L.

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Classification and Properties of Matter In chemistry and physics, …. Recommended Videos Problem 2. Problem 3. Problem 4. Problem 5. Problem 6. Problem 7. Bromine has a solubility of 3. Iodine is minimally soluble in water, with a solubility of 0. However, iodine will form an aqueous solution in the presence of iodide ion. This occurs with the addition of potassium iodide KI , forming a triiodide ion. Halogens are highly reactive and can form hydrogen halides, metal halides, organic halides, interhalogens, and polyhalogenated compounds.

The halogens all form binary compounds with hydrogen, and these compounds are known as the hydrogen halides: hydrogen fluoride HF , hydrogen chloride HCl , hydrogen bromide HBr , hydrogen iodide HI , and hydrogen astatide HAt. All of these except HF are strong chemical acids when dissolved in water. However, hydrofluoric acid does have quite destructive properties towards animal tissue, including that of humans. When in aqueous solution, the hydrogen halides are known as hydrohalic acids.

The names of these acids are as follows:. All of these acids are dangerous and must be handled with great care. Some of these acids are also widely used in chemical manufacturing plants. Hydrogen astatide should also be a strong acid hydroastatic acid , but it is seldom included in presentations about hydrohalic acids because of the extreme radioactivity of astatine via alpha decay and the fact that it readily decomposes into its constituent elements hydrogen and astatine.

The halogens form many compounds with metals. These include highly ionic compounds such as sodium chloride, monomeric covalent compounds such as uranium hexafluoride, and polymeric covalent compounds such as palladium chloride.

Metal halides are generally obtained through direct combination or, more commonly, through neutralization of a basic metal salt with a hydrohalic acid. Silver Chloride : Silver chloride is the precipitate formed when silver nitrate solution is added to chloride solution. The halogens react with each other to form interhalogen compounds.

The properties and behavior of a diatomic interhalogen compound tend to be intermediates of those of its parent halogens. Some properties, however, are found in neither parent halogen.

Many synthetic organic compounds, such as plastic polymers, as well as a few natural organic compounds, contain halogen atoms; these are known as halogenated compounds, or organic halides. Chlorine is by far the most abundant of the halogens and is the only one needed as chloride ions in relatively large amounts by humans.

For example, chloride ions play a key role in brain function by mediating the action of the inhibitory transmitter GABA. They are also used by the body to produce stomach acid.

Iodine is needed in trace amounts for the production of thyroid hormones, such as thyroxine. On the other hand, neither fluorine nor bromine is believed to be essential for humans. Organohalogens are also synthesized through the nucleophilic abstraction reaction. Polyhalogenated compounds are industrially created compounds substituted with multiple halogens.

Many of them are very toxic and bioaccumulate in humans, but they have many possible applications. Despite its toxicity, fluoride can be found in many everyday products, including toothpaste, vitamin supplements, baby formulas, and even public water. Many dental products contain fluoride in order to prevent tooth decay, but overconsumption of fluoride can be fatal. Chlorine accounts for about 0. Chlorine is primarily used in the production of hydrochloric acid, which is secreted from the parietal cells in the stomach and is used in maintaining the acidic environment for pepsin.

It plays a vital role in maintaining the proper acid-base balance of body fluids. It is neutralized in the intestine by sodium bicarbonate. Both chlorine and bromine are used as disinfectants for drinking water, swimming pools, fresh wounds, spas, dishes, and surfaces. They kill bacteria and other potentially harmful microorganisms through a process known as sterilization. Chlorine and bromine are also used in bleaching. Sodium hypochlorite, which is produced from chlorine, is the active ingredient of most fabric bleaches.

Chlorine-derived bleaches are also used in the production of some paper products. Iodine is an essential mineral for the body. It is used in the thyroid gland but can also be found in breast tissue, salivary glands, and adrenal glands. Without iodine, thyroid hormones cannot be produced, which leads to a condition called hypothyroidism.