At room temperature chlorine is a gas, bromine is a liquid, and iodine is a solid. All three exist as diatomic molecules at this temperature. The intermolecular attractions in these substances increase in the order:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The strength of the intermolecular attractions between molecules depends on factors such as molecular size, shape, and the presence of polar bonds or dipoles. In general, larger molecules have stronger attractions than smaller ones. In this case, iodine has the largest molecular size, followed by bromine and then chlorine. Iodine also has polarizability due to its large size and electron configuration, which enhances the strength of its intermolecular attractions. Therefore, the correct order of increasing intermolecular attractions is Cl2 < Br2 < I2, which corresponds to choice C.

At Room Temperature Chlorine Is a Gas, Bromine Is a Liquid