Final answer:
Chlorine, bromine, and iodine all react with iron to form binary halides like iron(II) chloride, iron(III) bromide, and iron(III) iodide, demonstrating the consistent chemical properties and behaviors of halogens in the same group.
Step-by-step explanation:
When chlorine, bromine, and iodine react with iron, two similarities can be seen in the products formed from these reactions. Firstly, all three halogens will react with iron to form binary halides, which are salts composed of iron cations and halogen anions. These compounds are named iron(II) chloride, iron(III) bromide, and iron(III) iodide, respectively. A second similarity is that these reactions further illustrate the chemical properties of halogens in their ability to form ionic bonds with metals, showing the similar behaviors of halogens in the same group of the periodic table.
Moreover, these reactions exemplify the typical behavior of halogens reacting with metals, where they act as oxidizing agents. Even though the reactivity of halogens decreases down the group (— with iodine being less reactive than chlorine), the type of compound they form with iron is similar in that they all produce halide salts.