Is fluorine more reactive or less reactive than chlorine?
1 Answer
Feb 13, 2016
Fluorine is clearly more reactive than chlorine. It is arguably more reactive than any other element on the Periodic Table.
Explanation:
Electronegativity increases across a Period (from left to right); and decreases down a Group. Fluorine is thus the most oxidizing element on the Periodic Table; it is thus the most reactive element on the Periodic Table. Fluorine chemists tend to be a breed apart. The older ones may have a few fingers (or eyes) missing because of the hazards of experimental fluorine chemistry.
As a follow up question, consider the elemental oxidation states in the (real) molecule
