Question

The boiling points of diatomic halogens are compared in the table.

Boiling Points of Diatomic Halogens
Molecule Boiling Point
F2 −188 °C
Cl2 −34 °C
Br2 59 °C
I2 184 °C


Diatomic bromine has weaker intermolecular forces than diatomic fluorine. (4 points)

True

False

Answer 1

The claim that diatomic bromine has weaker intermolecular forces than diatomic fluorine is false; bromine has stronger intermolecular forces as evidenced by its higher boiling point compared to fluorine.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that diatomic bromine has weaker intermolecular forces than diatomic fluorine is false. The boiling points of diatomic halogens increase as the size and mass of the molecules increase, with fluorine having the lowest boiling point and iodine the highest, due to stronger London dispersion forces. Since bromine (Br2) has a boiling point of 59 °C, which is higher than that of fluorine (F2) at −188 °C, it indicates that bromine has stronger intermolecular forces than fluorine. This trend reflects the increasing strength of dispersion forces with increasing molecular size and number of electrons.