Fluorine: The Most Chemically Reactive Element

Basic Facts are as Followed:

Name: Fluorine
Symbol: F
Atomic Number: 9
Atomic Weight: 18.998403
Family: Halogens
Located in Group 17 and Period 2

Brief History:

The first recorded use of a fluorine compound dates to around 1670 to a set of instructions for etching glass that called for Bohemian emerald (CaF2). Fluorine was isolated by Henri Moissan in 1886. He did this through the electrolysis of potassium fluoride (KF) and hydrofluoric acid (HF). He won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1906.

Scientific Perspective: There are 7 valence electron in a Fluorine atom. It will readily "burn" hydrocarbons at room temperature.

Physical Properties:

Fluorine is a very reactive, poisonous, yellowish brown gas.

Chemical Properties:

Fluorine is the most reactive element and electronegative element. Because of this, it is never found in nature and no other chemical element can displace Fluorine from its compounds. It readily forms compounds with most other compounds, even with noble gases.

To exaggerate the reactivity of flourine, here's a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG6EG_igTGw

Applications:

Inorganic compounds of Fluorine are used in toothpaste to prevent tooth decay. These compounds are also used in water fluoridation in which fluoride is added to a public water supply system to reduce tooth decay. The first recorded use of a fluorine compound dates to around 1670 to a set of instructions for etching glas. Sodium Fluoride, NaF, has been used as an insecticide. Polytetrafluortylene is used as the non-stick Teflon surface in baking pans.

Safety:

http://www.lindecanada.com/en/msds/linde/Fluorine_EN.pdf : WHMIS

Careers Associated with Fluorine:

Dental Hygienist

Water Filtration

Chemist (Obviously)

Sources:

1) http://www.3rd1000.com/elements/Fluorine.htm

2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG6EG_igTGw

3) http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele009.html

4) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Fluorite_crystals_270x444.jpg

5) http://www.lindecanada.com/en/msds/linde/Fluorine_EN.pdf

6) http://wiki.one-school.net/images/thumb/2/27/Fluorineatom.png/200px-Fluorineatom.png