Final answer:
Sulfuryl chloride's reactivity is attributed to its strong oxidizing properties, enabled by the highly electronegative element chlorine which is part of its molecular structure.The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
The reactivity of sulfuryl chloride is mainly due to its oxidizing properties. Sulfuryl chloride (SO2Cl2) tends to decompose into sulfur dioxide (SO2) and chlorine gas (Cl2), demonstrating its role as an oxidizer. Chlorine is a very electronegative element, and as such, it has a strong tendency to attract electrons from other substances, thereby oxidizing them. This characteristic is in sharp contrast with reducing properties, where a substance typically donates electrons. Considering chlorine's high electronegativity, and given that sulfuric acid—analogous to sulfuryl chloride in containing sulfur in a high oxidation state—is known to be an oxidizing agent, we can infer similar behavior for sulfuryl chloride.