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The Periodic Table

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Which element is the most reactive?

3 years ago

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Hershel Skiles


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50 Answers

Dan S Profile Picture
Dan S Verified Sherpa Tutor โœ“

Why no Chemistry jokes? All the good ones Argon!

Caesium is the most reactive metallic element, although theoretically Francium would be if it wasn[t so radioactive and conseqently so rare. Flourine is the most non-metallic element.

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Fayyad Uddin

Fluorine is the most reactive element due to its high electronegativity

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Mariam Chaudry

Fluorine is the most reactive element in the periodic tbale

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Rabiah Bhutta

The most reactive element is Caesium. This is because it has many electron shells and only one electron in its outer shell, meaning the electrostatic forces of attraction between positively charged protons and the negatively charged electron is weak, so the electron is given up the easiest, meaning it is the most reactive.

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Top of group 7 (The halogens) are very reactive (e.g Fluorine). If you are looking at metals, the Group 1 Alkali metals are very reactive. As you move down the group them react more violently with water for example. (e.g. Rubidium, Caesium, Francium).

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Andrew Bell

Francium is the most reactive metal

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This is hard to answer because it depends on whether we are discussing a non-metal or metal. There are different trends in reactivity for metals and non-metals and often these trends are opposite. For example, an element lower down in group 1, like caesium, will be more reactive than an element higher up in group one, like potassium. This is because group 1 elements are metals, therefore, are trying to lose an outer electron to react. The further out the outer electron is due to more levels of shielding observed as we go down group 1, which causes an outer electron to be removed from caesium easier than an outer electron is removed from potassium. This is the opposite for group 7 (halogens) which are non-metals. They want to gain an electron to complete their outer shell as they normally have 7 out of 8 electrons on their outer shell. Therefore to react, the ideal scenario is to have minimal shielding so other electrons are closer and more easily attracted to the nucleus. For this reason, elements higher in group 7, such as chlorine, are more reactive than elements lower in group 7, such as iodine.

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Shereeza

Fluorine (F) is the element on the periodic table that is the most reactive. It belongs to Group 7 of halogens and is very reactive because of its high electronegativity and ease of electron acquisition. Fluorine is a strong oxidant that reacts with practically all elements, even noble gases in some cases.

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Brian M Profile Picture
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In terms of a metal then Group 1 Francium would be most reactive. but, it's very rare and highly radioactive. For a metal in group 1 you would have heard of it would be Caesium. In terms of a non-metal it would be group 7 fluorine.

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Fluorine (F) is identified to be the most reactive element in the periodic table. It's need to gain an electron to form a a full outer shell (2,8) gives rise to it being the most reactive.

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The most reactive element is fluorine. It belongs to the halogen group in the periodic table and has a strong tendency to gain an electron to achieve a stable electron configuration.

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Dr Kay G Profile Picture
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My favourite element which is Fluorine.

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Mr Vaghela

Most reactive metal > Bottom of Group 1(alkali metals) in the the Periodic Table = Francium (Fr).

Most Reactive no metal > Top of Group 7 (the halogens) in the periodic table = Fluorine (F).

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Zak

Fluorine is identified as the most reactive non-metal and the most electronegative element in the periodic table, making it the strongest oxidizing agent. Caesium is the most reactive metal in the periodic table, so much so that working with this metal often ends in explosions! If you wish to know more about the periodic table or want to learn some key things to remember, please let me know.


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Sivalaxmi Basha

Aluminium is the most reactive element it's atomic number is 13. Al is its symbol. Finally, the most reactive elementary group is alkali metals situated far apart from intermediate metals and noble gases.

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