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It's easier for halogens to gain an electron than to let seven electrons go to become reactive.

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The further down the column you go the more electron shells in between the nucleus and the outside shell there are and so it has less 'pulling power' to grab that extra electron.

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Q: Why do halogens become less reactive down the column?
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Related questions

Do the halogens become more reactive or less reactive as they go lower down the group?

The most reactive halogens - fluorone and chlorine - are in the upper part of the group.


Are the halogens most reactive nonmetals or the least reactive nonmetals?

The Halogens are the most reactive non-metals. However, their reactivity decreases as you go down the group. Most reactive Fluorine>Chlorine>Bromine>Iodine>Astatine Least reactive. However, Astatine is not fully characterised because it is radio-active, and consequently is not found in open(school) labs.


Are atoms with fewer electrons more reactive?

That isn't necessarily true. The Halogens (group 17) follow what you said, but the Alkali metals (group 1) don't. As you go down the column, the elements get more reactive for group 1; Lithium is the least reactive and Francium (speculated) is the most reactive. On the other hand, as you down the Halogens, they do get less reactive. Astatine (speculated) is the least reactive while Fluorine is the most reactive element of them all. Hope that clears up things!


What are the characteristics of group 8A?

Group VII elements are halogens. Halogens exist as diatomic covalent molecules (the 2 atoms within each molecule are held together by strong covalent bond) and they are very reactive non-metals. Physical properties: On going down the group from Fluorine to Astatine, - the melting and boiling points of the halogens increase. Chlorine is a gas, bromine is a liquid and iodine is a solid at room temperature. - the colour of the halogens become darker. Chlorine is greenish-yellow, bromine is reddish-brown and iodine is purplish-black. Chemical properties: - Halogens react with most metals to form salts called halides. - The reactivity of halogens decreases down the group. Fluorine is the most reactive. This is because the atomic size of the halogens increases down the group. It becomes more difficult for the nucleus to attract an electron into the valence shell to become an ion. - A more reactive halogen will displace a less reactive halogen from an aqueous solution.


What can you say about reactivity of the halogens as you go down the group from fluorine to astatine?

Reactivity decreases. In other words, fluorine is the most reactive of the halogens while astatine is the lease reactive. This is because the ability to attract electrons(electronegativity) decreases as you go down the group.


What halogen is most likely to react?

The reactivity of halogens decreases down the group, which means Fluorine is the most reactive halogens as it is the most electronegative elements among the halogens, and also the Periodic Table.


What is the most reactive halogen?

the halogens decrease in reactivity as you move down the group, so i guess that the least reactive would be Astatine. Hope this helps =)


Which group are highly reactive non metals on the periodic table?

The more reactive elements on the periodic table are farther down in the rows. For example, Te, or Tellurium, is in group 16 and row 5. The elements in row 7 are the most reactive, but technically Tellurium, since it is the farthest down nonmetal on the periodic table, would be the most reactive nonmetal, technically making group 16 the most reactive row of the nonmetals.


Why do the properties of halogens change as you move down the group?

As we move down the group of halogens the number of shells increase (as the number of periods are increased). Thus the halogens become less reactive. Halogens react by gaining an electron to have a complete outer shell (as they have seven). As the number of shells increase, the magnetic force from the nucleus (of the protons to the electrons) decrease thus make them less likely to gain an electron from other molecules. So the ones nearer to the bottom (e.g. iodine) will be less reactive than the one nearer to the top (e.g. chlorine).


What non metal group is most reactive?

Halogens, hands down. That would be the one second from the right that starts with Fluorine :)


What is the most reactive group of elements in the periodic table?

Alkali Metals (group 1) because they only need to lose one electron in order to have a stable valence level of 8. As you go down the alkali metals group, the elements become more reactive. So Francium is the most reactive alkali metal. Also, Halogens, because they already have 7 electrons and only need to gain one in order to have a stable valence level of 8. As you go up the halogens group, the elements become more reactive. So Fluorine is the most reactive halogen. This is just a brief summary, if you want to know the reasons why this is I suggest you search about ionization energy, electron affinity, and electronegativity because these are all what make an element "reactive."


What functional groups are the most reactive?

The Group 1 and Group 17 elements are the most reactive. Group 1 is the Alkali metals, and their reactivity increases going down the column. Group 17 is the Halogens, and their reactivity increases going up the column.this is not answering the question. The question asks which ORGANIC Functional group (amine, ketone, etc.) is the most reactive, not which group on the periodic table.