Fluorine (F)
Fluorine is the most electronegative of all elements, meaning it pulls on shared electrons more strongly than any other atom.
Fluorine properties
- Atomic mass
- 18.998 u
- Category
- Halogen
- Group
- 17
- Period
- 2
- Block
- p-block
- Electronegativity
- 3.98
- Melting point
- 53.48 K (-219.7 °C)
- Boiling point
- 85.03 K (-188.1 °C)
- Density
- 1.696 g/L
- Atomic radius
- 135 pm
- Ionization energy
- 17.423 eV
- Electron affinity
- 3.339 eV
- Radioactive
- No, has stable isotopes
- Discovered
- 1886
Fluorine electron configuration
- Electron configuration
- [He] 2s2 2p5
- Full electron configuration
- 1s2 2s2 2p5
- Electron shells
- 2 · 7
The electron configuration of Fluorine (F) is [He] 2s2 2p5. Its 9 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 7.
Protons, neutrons and electrons in Fluorine
A neutral Fluorine atom has 9 protons and 9 electrons. Most Fluorine atoms have about 10 neutrons: the atomic mass rounded to 19, minus the atomic number 9.
Neutrons are approximate: atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). Atomic number and mass
How many valence electrons does Fluorine have?
7
Fluorine has 7 valence electrons in its outermost shell, shell 2. These are the electrons involved in chemical bonding.
Fluorine orbital diagram
Each box is an orbital that holds up to two electrons with opposite spins (↑↓). The inner shells are the same as the noble gas in brackets. How to write electron configurations
Molar mass of Fluorine
18.998 g/mol
One mole of Fluorine atoms (6.022 × 10²³ atoms) has a mass of 18.998 grams. Use this value to convert between grams and moles.
Compounds containing Fluorine
Fluorine facts
- Fluorine is the most electronegative of all elements, meaning it pulls on shared electrons more strongly than any other atom.
- Fluorine is so reactive that it forms compounds even with the noble gases krypton and xenon.
- Fluorine (F) has atomic number 9 and is a gas at room temperature. It was discovered in 1886.
Position in the periodic table
Fluorine is element 9, in period 2 and group 17 of the periodic table, in the p-block.
Uses of Fluorine
Fluorine compounds are added to toothpaste and, in many places, to drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. Fluorine is used to make uranium hexafluoride for enriching nuclear fuel, nonstick PTFE coatings for pans, and refrigerants. Hydrofluoric acid etches glass and is used in making computer chips, and many modern medicines contain fluorine atoms.
Who discovered Fluorine?
French chemist Henri Moissan first isolated fluorine in 1886 in Paris, by electrolysis of potassium hydrogen fluoride dissolved in liquid hydrogen fluoride. The achievement helped earn him the 1906 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Where does the name come from?
Fluorine is named after the mineral fluorite, or fluorspar, from the Latin fluere, 'to flow'. Metalworkers added fluorite to ores as a flux because it helps the molten material flow more easily.
Same group
Compare Fluorine
FAQ
What is the electron configuration of Fluorine?
The electron configuration of Fluorine (F) is [He] 2s2 2p5. Its 9 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 7.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does Fluorine have?
A neutral Fluorine atom has 9 protons and 9 electrons. Most Fluorine atoms have about 10 neutrons: the atomic mass rounded to 19, minus the atomic number 9.
How many valence electrons does Fluorine have?
Fluorine has 7 valence electrons in its outermost shell, shell 2. These are the electrons involved in chemical bonding.
What is the molar mass of Fluorine?
The molar mass of Fluorine is 18.998 g/mol. This is the same number as its atomic mass, 18.998 u.
Is Fluorine a metal?
No. Fluorine is a halogen, so it is a nonmetal.
Is Fluorine radioactive?
Ordinary Fluorine is not radioactive: it has at least one stable isotope. Like every element, it also has radioactive isotopes, most of them made in laboratories.
Where is Fluorine on the periodic table?
Fluorine is element 9, in period 2 and group 17 of the periodic table, in the p-block.