Group 7A/17 elements are called what?

Group 7A/17 elements are called what?

• A. Noble gases
• B. Halogens
• C. Alkali metals
• D. Transition metals

Answer: (B)

Group 7A/17 elements are called halogens. The name halogen means “salt formers,” reflecting their strong tendency to react with metals to form salts. They are nonmetals with seven valence electrons, so they need one more to complete an octet, which drives their high reactivity, especially for the top elements in the group. In elemental form they exist as diatomic molecules like F2, Cl2, Br2, and I2. They sit in the periodic table just before the noble gases in Group 18. The other families refer to different groups: noble gases are the inert elements in Group 18, alkali metals are highly reactive metals in Group 1, and transition metals are the d-block elements in Groups 3–12.

Group 7A/17 elements are called halogens. The name halogen means “salt formers,” reflecting their strong tendency to react with metals to form salts. They are nonmetals with seven valence electrons, so they need one more to complete an octet, which drives their high reactivity, especially for the top elements in the group. In elemental form they exist as diatomic molecules like F2, Cl2, Br2, and I2. They sit in the periodic table just before the noble gases in Group 18. The other families refer to different groups: noble gases are the inert elements in Group 18, alkali metals are highly reactive metals in Group 1, and transition metals are the d-block elements in Groups 3–12.