Halogen facts for kids

The halogens are a special group of chemical elements found in the periodic table. You can find them in the second-to-right column, which is also called Group 17. The elements in this group are fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, astatine, and ununseptium.

The word "halogen" means "salt producer" or "salt maker." This is because these elements are very good at forming compounds that are often salts. They are super reactive, meaning they love to join with other elements. This happens because they are missing just one electron to be complete. Because they are so reactive, you rarely find them alone in nature. Fluorine is the most reactive halogen, while iodine is the least reactive. Astatine is a very rare and radioactive element.

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  Fluorine

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  Chlorine

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  Bromine

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  Iodine

How Halogens Are Used

A halogen light bulb

Halogens are used in many important ways in our daily lives. Two of the most common halogens, chlorine and bromine, are great at keeping things clean and safe.

Cleaning and Bleaching

Chlorine and bromine are often used as disinfectants. This means they help kill tiny, harmful living things like bacteria and other microorganisms. They are used to clean drinking water, swimming pools, and even fresh wounds. They also help make spas, dishes, and surfaces safe and clean. This process is called sterilization.

The reactive nature of halogens also makes them useful for bleaching. For example, sodium hypochlorite, which is made from chlorine, is the main ingredient in most fabric bleaches. Chlorine-based bleaches are also used when making some paper products. Chlorine also combines with sodium to create sodium chloride, which is the common table salt we use for cooking!

Halogen Lamps

Halogen lamps are a special kind of light bulb. They have a tungsten wire inside, just like old-fashioned light bulbs. But what makes them different is that they also have a small amount of a halogen gas, like iodine or bromine, inside the bulb.

This special gas helps the bulb work better and last longer. It stops the wire from wearing out too quickly and prevents the inside of the bulb from turning black. This means halogen lamps can be much smaller than regular incandescent lightbulbs, even if they use the same amount of power. Halogen lamps also glow at a higher temperature, giving off a brighter, whiter light. Because they get so hot, these bulbs are made from a special material called fused quartz to prevent them from breaking.

Images for kids

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  Boiling or sublimation temperature for halogens at different pressures. The vertical bar shows the melting point.

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  From left to right: chlorine, bromine, and iodine at room temperature. Chlorine is a gas, bromine is a liquid, and iodine is a solid. Fluorine could not be included because it is so reactive, and astatine and tennessine because they are radioactive.

See also

In Spanish: Halógenos para niños