The Halogens
 

The common halogens are fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. They get their name from the Greek word meaning “salt former” – the prefix halo means salt. This is a good name for this group because they will readily react with the alkali metals to form salts. Salt is a general term and does not refer to table salt – sodium chloride. However, sodium chloride is a salt – the alkali metal being sodium, the halogen being chlorine. Halogens have 7 electrons in their outer orbital, and will very easily steal an electron from the alkali metal. They are found as anions with a negative 1 (1-) charge.

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