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Grade upto college level Physical Chemistry

Fluorine has a low electron gain enthalpy compared to chlorine, yet it is a more powerful oxidant. Explain why?

Profile image of aditya kashyap
12 Years agoGrade upto college level
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1 Answer

Profile image of Sunil Kumar FP
11 Years ago
Main reason is the very high hydration enthalpy of the fluoride ion. That is because the ion is very small. There is a very strong attraction between the fluoride ions and water molecules. The stronger the attraction, the more heat is evolved when the hydrated ions are formed.