Highest group valency of halogens with respect to oxygen is

Options

A. one
B. five
C. six
D. seven

Answer

To determine the highest group valency of halogens with respect to oxygen, we need to analyze the behavior of halogens when they form compounds with oxygen. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the solution:

### Step 1: Identify the Halogens
The halogens include fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and astatine (At).

**Hint:** Remember that halogens are located in Group 17 of the periodic table.

### Step 2: Understand Electronegativity
Fluorine is the most electronegative element, followed by oxygen. The electronegativity values indicate that fluorine will attract electrons more strongly than oxygen, while chlorine, bromine, and iodine have lower electronegativities than oxygen.

**Hint:** Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons.

### Step 3: Analyze Compounds Formed with Oxygen
When halogens form compounds with oxygen, we need to consider the valency of each halogen. For example, in the compound OF2, oxygen has a valency of +2, while fluorine, being more electronegative, does not exhibit a positive valency in this case.

**Hint:** Look at specific examples of compounds formed between halogens and oxygen to understand their valency.

### Step 4: Consider Other Halogens (Cl, Br, I)
For chlorine, bromine, and iodine, which are less electronegative than oxygen, they will tend to lose electrons when forming compounds with oxygen. This means they can exhibit a positive valency.

**Hint:** When halogens are less electronegative than oxygen, they can lose electrons, resulting in a positive valency.

### Step 5: Determine the Maximum Valency
The general electron configuration for halogens is ns²np⁵, which indicates that they have a total of 7 valence electrons. Therefore, they can lose up to 7 electrons when forming compounds with oxygen.

**Hint:** The maximum number of electrons that can be lost by an element corresponds to its valency.

### Step 6: Conclusion
Thus, the highest group valency of halogens with respect to oxygen is +7, as they can lose all 7 valence electrons when forming bonds with oxygen.

**Final Answer:** The highest group valency of halogens with respect to oxygen is +7.