Question

Compare and contrast fluorine and chlorine with respect to their periodic properties.

Answer 1

Step 1: Comparison of Fluorine(F) and Chlorine(Cl)

The differences between Fluorine(F) and Chlorine(Cl) are,

• Both Fluorine(F) and Chlorine(Cl) come under the halogen group and are present in group 17 of the periodic table.
• Both these elements need one electron to complete their octet configuration.
• These two elements occur as gaseous forms in nature.
• The atomic number of Fluorine is 9. The electrons per shell are 2, 7. So, Fluorine(F) has two shells.
• The atomic number of Chlorine is 17. The electrons per shell are 2, 8, 7. So, Chlorine (Cl) has three shells.
• Chlorine(Cl) has a higher electron affinity than Fluorine(F) because of the smaller size of Fluorine(F). Due to the smaller size of Fluorine(F), there is more electron-electron repulsion. So it has low electron affinity.
• Fluorine(F) needs higher ionization energy than Chlorine(Cl). Due to the smaller size of Fluorine, the outermost electrons are strongly held by the nucleus. so, high ionisation energy is required to remove the electrons from the outer shell.