Question

Which is the most reactive element of the halogens?

Answer 1

Well, fluorine, and chlorine are gases, and are supplied in cylinders. The use of fluorine tends to be limited....because of its prodigious and brutal reactivity. This is certainly the most reactive element of the group, and the most reactive element on the Periodic Table.

Explanation:

Iodine is a crystalline solid, that we typically use for activation of a magnesium surface in a Grignard reaction.

And also challenging to use is bromine, a HIGHLY corrosive liquid under laboratory conditions that could cause horrendous burns. Even very experienced chemists would treat bromine with a great deal of respect (of course, the profs would tell their grad students to get it right, and get a move on.........and of course blame them if they got themselves injured....)

Note that all of the halogens are diatomic molecules, i.e. `X_2`.