Answer:
The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which it changes from a liquid to a gas. The boiling point is determined by the strength of the intermolecular forces between the molecules of the substance. The stronger the intermolecular forces, the higher the boiling point.
The noble gases are all monatomic, meaning they exist as single atoms rather than molecules. They have weak intermolecular forces and therefore low boiling points. Among the noble gases, the boiling points increase with increasing atomic mass.
Fluorine (F₂) is a diatomic molecule with very strong intermolecular forces due to its small size and high electronegativity. Bromine (Br₂) is also a diatomic molecule but has weaker intermolecular forces than F₂ due to its larger size. Xenon (Xe), argon (Ar), and neon (Ne) are all monatomic noble gases with very weak intermolecular forces.
Therefore, the correct order of increasing boiling points for Xe, Ar, Ne, F₂, and Br₂ is:
Ne < F₂ < Ar < Xe < Br₂
Step-by-step explanation: