the boiling points of diatomic halogens are compared in the table.

Question

Boiling Points of Diatomic Halogens
Molecule Boiling Point
F2 −188 °C
Cl2 −34 °C
Br2 59 °C
I2 184 °C

Diatomic bromine has weaker intermolecular forces than diatomic fluorine.
True

Answer 1

The statement "Diatomic bromine has weaker intermolecular forces than diatomic fluorine" is false.

When comparing the boiling points of diatomic halogens, we can see that fluorine (F2) has a boiling point of −188 °C, whereas bromine (Br2) has a boiling point of 59 °C. The higher boiling point of bromine indicates that it has stronger intermolecular forces compared to fluorine.

The key factor here is that bromine, being a larger molecule than fluorine, has more electrons and a larger electron cloud, which leads to stronger London dispersion forces (a type of van der Waals force) than those present in fluorine. Therefore, bromine experiences stronger intermolecular forces, while fluorine has weaker intermolecular forces.