Rank the following groups in order of decreasing priority.
a. Br
b. Cl
c. F
d. I
d. I (highest priority)
a. Br
b. Cl
c. F (lowest priority)
To rank the groups in order of decreasing priority, you need to consider the order of halogens in the periodic table. The order of increasing atomic number for the given elements is F (9), Cl (17), Br (35), and I (53). The higher the atomic number, the higher the priority.
Therefore, the groups should be ranked as follows, in decreasing priority:
1. I (Iodine)
2. Br (Bromine)
3. Cl (Chlorine)
4. F (Fluorine)
To rank the groups in order of decreasing priority, we need to consider the periodic trends of electronegativity in the periodic table. Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons towards itself in a chemical bond.
The general trend of electronegativity is that it increases from left to right across a period and decreases down a group in the periodic table. Therefore, as we move from left to right across the halogen group (group 17), the electronegativity increases.
Now let's apply this information to rank the given groups in order of decreasing priority:
a. Br (Bromine): Bromine is the third halogen from left to right in the periodic table. It has an intermediate electronegativity compared to the other groups, so it will have medium priority.
b. Cl (Chlorine): Chlorine is the second halogen from left to right in the periodic table. It has a higher electronegativity than bromine but lower than fluorine and iodine. It will have higher priority than bromine but lower than fluorine and iodine.
c. F (Fluorine): Fluorine is the first halogen from left to right in the periodic table. It has the highest electronegativity among all the halogens, indicating that it attracts electrons most strongly. It will have the highest priority among the given groups.
d. I (Iodine): Iodine is the fourth and final halogen from left to right in the periodic table. It has the lowest electronegativity among the halogens. This indicates that it attracts electrons less strongly compared to the other groups. It will have the lowest priority among the given groups.
Therefore, the ranking of the groups in order of decreasing priority would be:
1. F (Fluorine)
2. Cl (Chlorine)
3. Br (Bromine)
4. I (Iodine)