Properties of chlorine, iodine and their compounds are compared.
Property Q for chlorine is smaller than for iodine.
What is property Q?A.solubility of the silver halide in NH3 (aq)B.
strength of van der Waals’ forces between the molecules of the element
C.
thermal stability of the hydrogen halide
D.
oxidising ability of the element
To answer this you really need to have at your finger tips all of the properties of Cl2 and I2. I think the answer is B. Here is my reasoning.
For A. Ksp for AgCl is approx 10^-10 vs AgI approx 10^-17. The formation constant for Ag(NH3)2 is about 10^7. Since AgCl is more soluble than AgI because of Ksp, then AgCl should be MORE soluble in NH3 than AgI. A says less so I eliminated A. For B, AgI is a larger molecule (in size) than AgCl; therefore, it is more polarizable so AgCl is smaller and that's what B says. For C, HCl vs HI. HCl is a gas, HI is gas. The thermal stability is a function of the strength of the H-Cl or H-I bond. HI is a larger bond length and a weaker bond so HCl is MORE (not less) stable. Eliminate C. For D,
it is 1st year chemistry class that Cl2 is a far better oxidizing agent than I2 so eliminate D. I still go with B.
B
Property Q in this context refers to the oxidizing ability of the element. So, in this case, the statement is saying that the oxidizing ability of chlorine is smaller than that of iodine. However, don't worry, chlorine still has the power to bleach your clothes and purify swimming pools. It just might not be as "oxidizing" on a comedic stage as iodine.
Property Q refers to the oxidizing ability of the element.
To determine which property Q refers to, we can compare the properties of chlorine, iodine, and their compounds. Let's examine each option and see how it relates to the properties of these elements and their compounds:
A. Solubility of the silver halide in NH3 (aq): This property refers to the ability of the silver halide compounds, such as silver chloride (AgCl) and silver iodide (AgI), to dissolve in aqueous ammonia (NH3). Comparing the solubilities of these compounds will not provide any information about the relative properties of chlorine and iodine themselves, so it is unlikely that this option corresponds to property Q.
B. Strength of van der Waals’ forces between the molecules of the element: This property refers to the attractive forces between non-polar molecules, such as chlorine (Cl2) and iodine (I2). The strength of van der Waals' forces depends on the size of the molecules and the number of electrons they have. Since iodine is larger than chlorine and has more electrons, it generally exhibits stronger van der Waals' forces. Therefore, it is possible that property Q refers to this option, indicating that chlorine has a smaller strength of van der Waals’ forces compared to iodine.
C. Thermal stability of the hydrogen halide: This property relates to the stability of the hydrogen halides, such as hydrogen chloride (HCl) and hydrogen iodide (HI), when exposed to heat. It measures how easily these compounds decompose into their constituent elements. Comparing the thermal stability of hydrogen chloride and hydrogen iodide will not directly provide information about the properties of chlorine and iodine themselves, so it is unlikely that this option corresponds to property Q.
D. Oxidizing ability of the element: This property refers to the ability of an element (such as chlorine or iodine) to oxidize other substances. Chlorine is a stronger oxidizing agent compared to iodine, as it has a higher tendency to gain electrons. Therefore, it is unlikely that property Q refers to this option, as it suggests that chlorine has a smaller oxidizing ability than iodine, which is not the case.
Based on the analysis, the most plausible answer is B. The property Q is likely the strength of van der Waals' forces between the molecules of the element. Thus, option B refers to the comparison of the strength of van der Waals' forces between chlorine and iodine, with chlorine exhibiting a smaller strength compared to iodine.