Question

Interhalogen compounds are more reactive than the individual halogens because:

a.) they are prepared by direct combination of halogens

b.) X-X' bond is weaker than X-X or X '-X' bonds

c.) they are thermally more stable than halogens

d.) there is a large difference in their electronegativity

Answer 1

Hint: Interhalogen compounds are the compounds that are having the bonds in between the different halogen atoms. They are more prone to hydrolysis that’s why they get ionised and give polyatomic ions. The bond formed between the two similar halogens are more stable than the bond formed in between the dissimilar halogen atoms, this results in the more reactive interhalogen compounds than the individual halogen compounds.

Complete step by step solution: 

In interhalogen compounds X-X' type of bonds are found, that means the bonding atoms are the atoms of the different halogens, while the halogens that are found in X-X type have same halogens

The strength of the X-X' is lesser than that of the X-X type. So, when the strength of the bonds of the interhalogen compounds are less they can be easily broken in a chemical reaction and to break the bond of the individual halogens is way difficult. So, the compounds in which bonds can be easily broken, are more reactive.

Hence this is the reason because of which the interhalogens are more reactive than the individual halogens.

So, option (B) is the correct answer.

Note: In the case of fluorine it is an exception. That means the interhalogen compounds like Cl-F and Br-F are more reactive in nature than the other individual halogen compounds but they are less reactive than the F-F (F₂) compound. Because the size of the fluorine atom is very small and the electronegativity is very high in between the F-F, that’s why the bond between the fluorine and fluorine is weak and this makes the fluorine molecule to more reactive.