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What is the appearance of the group 7 elements at room temperature?

Option 1: They are gaseous.
Option 2: They are solids with metallic luster.
Option 3: They are brittle solids.
Option 4: They are liquids.

User Latiek
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Group 7 elements, or halogens, exhibit various states at room temperature; fluorine and chlorine are gases, bromine is a liquid, and iodine is a solid, due to the strength of Van der Waals forces and their molecular sizes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The group 7 elements, also known as halogens, have different states at room temperature. At 25°C, fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl) are gases, bromine (Br) is a liquid, and iodine (I) is a solid. This progression from gases to liquids to solids across the group is due to the increasing strength of Van der Waals forces (or London dispersion forces) as the size of the molecules increases, which in turn affects the boiling points of these elements. Hence, the correct option for the appearance of group 7 elements at room temperature is none of the given options as they exhibit more than one physical state.

Among these, bromine is notable for being one of the only two elements that are liquid at room temperature, the other being the metal mercury (Hg). The other halogens, such as fluorine and chlorine, are too lightweight and thus exist as gases at room temperature due to their low boiling points, while iodine has a higher molar mass and stronger intermolecular forces, which leads to it being solid at room temperature.

User DVM
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