Chapter 17, Problem 18STP

To determine

To Explain: The reason for high reactivity of fluorine and unreactivity of neon.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

The reactivity of an element depends on the number of electrons that are present in an outermost shell.

Fluorine is highly electronegative reactive non-metal that has a strong nonmetallic properties and have a tendency to form ionic bonds with metals. The electronic configuration of fluorine is $1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^5$ . It has 7 electrons in its valence shell. So, it needs 1 electron to complete its octet and acquiring noble gas configuration. Thus, it is very reactive as they bond easily with other elements to make compounds.

Neon is a noble gas that has a strong reluctance to form a compound with other elements. The electronic configuration of neon is $1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^6$ . It has 8 electrons in its outermost shell. This means its octet is complete and has stable configuration. If it loses or gain an electron then it will lose its stability. Thus, neon is unreactive.