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How does the boiling point of an ethyl halide change from fluorine to iodine?
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halogen
Modern version of the periodic table of the elements.
The boiling points of ethyl halides increase as the atomic number of the halogen increases, meaning the boiling point rises as you move from fluorine to iodine.1
This trend occurs because, with an increasing atomic number, the halogen atom becomes more polarizable, meaning its electric field is more easily distorted by nearby electric fields. Increased polarizability is associated with stronger intermolecular forces of the London dispersion type, which results in a higher boiling point.1