Question
Why do melting and boiling points of halogens increase on moving down the group?

Answer

  • The atomic size of halogens increases on moving down the group and hence the strength of van der Waals forces between the molecules also increases.
  • In the lighter elements, F and Cl, these forces are weak, hence they are gases at room temperature and possess low melting and boiling points.
  • In the heavier elements of the group, the van der Waals forces become stronger. Thus, bromine is a liquid and iodine is a solid and they possess higher melting and boiling points.

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