What is the difference between a halogen and an alkali metal?

Answer 1

This refers to two different families of compound from the Periodic Table, alkali metals like sodium and potassium have positive valence, while halogens like fluorine and iodine are negative valence (one).

Answer 2

Alkali metals possess a valence of 'negative one,' whereas the halogens possess outer electron shells within which reside singular electrons. They also differ in state at those temperatures at which humans are generally most comfortable (the low- to mid-20s in degrees Celsius).

When given reason to react with other metallic elements, those substances in the first group of the periodic table will produce 'metallic compounds,' in which the atoms of these differing metals are bound to one another in such a manner that electrons may move freely throughout the material overall, and travel towards positive charges within the matter of their 'parent substances' overall, where such exist. Halogens which form bonds with metallic substances produce ionic compounds, which often generate a salt precipitate. These ionic compounds are formed through the means of electrons from 'incomplete' outer shells entering into the orbit of other atoms, to enter a more attractive external orbit (ex: one with greater positive charge than the preexisting)

Simply put, the alkalis are metallic substances with seven electrons in their outermost shells. At the temperature of an average indoor area, all alkali metals should be found in solid form. The halogens are materials that may occur in solid, liquid, or gaseous state at room temperature; the final shell surrounding any atom of this sort of substance will always contain only one electron.

Answer 3

All the noble gases are inert, but not all inert gases are noble gases.

An inert gas is any gas that will not enter into a chemical reaction in the circumstances being considered. For example nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and various halons are not very reactive in most circumstances and are used as inert gases in fire suppression, smelting metals that would ignite in air at their melting temperature, welding under moderately high temperatures, in anaesthesia, for filling light bulbs, etc.

The noble gases are the six elements that make up Group XVIII of the periodic table: helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn). They are all very unreactive elements which under normal conditions exists as colourless, odourless, monatomic gases of very low chemical reactivity. That is, they are all inert gases, but not all inert gases are noble gases. Argon is used as an inert gas for high-temperature argon-arc welding and in filling light globes. Helium is used as an inert gas in anaesthesia, as a cryogenic coolant, and as a lifting gas in balloons and blimps. The others are rather rare, and have specialised uses.