Question

Explain why halogens are strong oxidizing agents?

Answer 1

The reason why halogens are strong oxidizing agents

• Oxidation is a loss of electrons.
• The oxidizing agent is a chemical species that undergoes a chemical reaction in which the species gain one or more electrons.
• The general electronic configuration of halogens is ${\mathrm{np}}^5$.
• Halogens need only one more electron to complete their octet and to attain the stable noble gas configuration.
• Halogens possess an electronegative character.
• Therefore they have a high tendency to gain an electron and thus act as a strong oxidizing agent.
• Fluorine is the most powerful oxidizing agent.
• Oxidizing ability falls as we go down the group.
  For example:

$\underset{\mathrm{Flourine}}{2{\mathrm{F}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)\to \underset{\mathrm{Hydrogen}\mathrm{flouride}}{4\mathrm{HF}\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Oxygen}}{{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}$

• In the above reaction, fluorine oxidizes water to oxygen.

Hence, due to the high electronegativity of halogens these act as strong oxidizing agents.