All elements of Mendeleev's periodic table are combined into groups, depending on their chemical properties. In this article, we will analyze what halogens (or halogens) are.
The meaning of the concept of halogens
Halogens are elements from Mendeleev's periodic table of group 17, and according to the outdated classification - 7 of the main subgroup. Halogens include only 5 chemical elements, including fluorine, chlorine, iodine, astatine and bromine. All of them are non-metals. Halogens are very active oxidizing agents, and at the external level, these elements have 7 electrons each.
What are halogens, why did they get such a name? The word "halogen" is derived from two Greek words that together mean "birth of s alt". One of the elements of this group, chlorine, forms a s alt together with sodium.
Physical properties of the halogen group
The chemical properties of halogens are similar, but the physical characteristics of the elements differ from each other.
Fluorine is a yellow gaseous substance with a very unpleasant and pungent odor. Chlorine is a green-yellow gas with a heavy and repulsive odour. Bromine is a brown liquidcolors. Astatine is a blue-black solid with a pungent odor. Iodine is a gray solid. Summarizing the above information, we can answer the question: "What are halogens?". These are gases, and liquids, and solids.
Chemical properties of the halogen group
The main common property of all halogens is that they are all very active oxidizers. The most active halogen is fluorine, which reacts with all metals, and the most inactive is astatine.
Interaction with halogens in simple substances (with the exception of some non-metals) is easy. In nature, they are found only in the form of compounds.
Fluorine
Such a chemical element as fluorine was obtained only at the end of the 19th century by a French scientist named Henri Moissan. Fluorine is a pale yellow gas. Halogens are typical non-metals and oxidizing agents, and fluorine is the most active of all halogens. Now this halogen is indispensable in industry because it is used in the manufacture of pipes, electrical tape, various fabric coatings, non-stick surfaces for pans and molds, and in medicine in the manufacture of artificial arteries and veins. In industry, this halogen is diluted with nitrogen.
Chlorine
Chlorine is a famous chemical element that belongs to the group of halogens. What are halogens, we examined above. Chlorine retains the basic properties of the elements of its group.
It got its name from the Greek word "chloros", which translates as pale green. This gasvery widespread in nature, it is found in large quantities in sea water. Chlorine is a very important chemical element, it is almost indispensable for bleaching, disinfection of swimming pools, as well as disinfection of drinking water.
But chlorine is also known to be a deadly weapon. In 1915, German troops used about 6 thousand cylinders with this halogen against the French army. This deadly weapon was invented by the famous German chemist Fritz Haber.
Iodine
Iodine, or iodine, is another chemical element that belongs to the halogen group. In fact, in the periodic table this element is called nothing more than iodine, but iodine is considered to be its trivial name. The name of the element comes from the Greek word, which means “violet” in Russian. This chemical element is quite common in everyday life. When interacting with other halogens, mainly chlorine, an excellent disinfectant for wounds and scratches is obtained. Now iodine is used in medicine to prevent thyroid diseases.
Astatine
Astatine is interesting because it has never been obtained by chemists in such quantity that it can be seen with the naked eye. And most likely, this opportunity will never be presented to them. If the specialists were able to obtain a large amount of this chemical element, it would immediately evaporate, due to the high temperature that appears as a result of the radioactive radiation of thiselement. Astatine is the rarest chemical element, and a small amount of it is found in the earth's crust.
Astatine is a rather useless element among the halogens, because at the moment no use has been found for it.
Use and meaning
Despite the fact that all halogens have similar chemical properties, they are used in completely different areas. For example, fluoride is very good for teeth, which is why it is added to toothpastes. The use of therapeutic and prophylactic agents, which contain the chemical element fluorine, prevents the appearance of caries. Chlorine is used to produce hydrochloric acid, which is indispensable in industry and medicine. Chlorine is used to make rubber, plastics, solvents, dyes, and synthetic fibers. Compounds containing this element are used in agriculture for pest control. Halogen chlorine is indispensable for bleaching paper and fabrics. The use of chlorine to treat drinking water is considered unsafe. Bromine, which is a halogen, as well as iodine are often used in medicine.
The importance of halogens in human life is enormous. If we imagine the existence of mankind without halogens, then we would be deprived of such things as photographs, antiseptics and disinfectants, rubber, plastic, linoleum and many others. In addition, these substances are necessary for the human body to function normally, that is, they play an important biological role. Although the properties of halogens andsimilar, their role in industry and medicine is different.
