State what happens when halogens react with a cold dilute solution of NaOH?

Answer

When halogens react with a cold dilute solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), the following reactions occur depending on the specific halogen involved. Here is a step-by-step explanation of the reactions:

### Step 1: Identify the Halogen
Halogens include fluorine (F2), chlorine (Cl2), bromine (Br2), and iodine (I2). For this explanation, we will consider the general case of a halogen represented as X2.

### Step 2: Write the Reaction
When a halogen (X2) reacts with a cold dilute solution of NaOH, the reaction can be represented as follows:
\[ \text{X}_2 + \text{NaOH} \rightarrow \text{NaX} + \text{NaOX} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \]

### Step 3: Balance the Reaction
To balance the reaction, we need to ensure that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides of the equation. For example, if we take chlorine (Cl2) as the halogen:
\[ \text{Cl}_2 + 2 \text{NaOH} \rightarrow 2 \text{NaCl} + \text{NaOCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \]

### Step 4: Generalize the Reaction
This reaction can be generalized for any halogen (X):
\[ \text{X}_2 + 2 \text{NaOH} \rightarrow 2 \text{NaX} + \text{NaOX} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \]

### Step 5: Conclusion
The products of the reaction between a halogen and a cold dilute solution of NaOH are sodium halide (NaX), sodium hypohalite (NaOX), and water (H2O). The specific products will vary depending on the halogen used.