Fluorine (F) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

fluorine element periodic table

Fluorine element (F) is in group 17 and period 2 of a periodic table. Fluorine is in the p-block and it is classified as a halogen group element on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to fluorine which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

Fluorine Element (Information Table)

The important data related to fluorine element is given in the table below.

Appearance of fluorineGaseous state has Pale yellow color
Liquid state has Bright yellow color
Alpha fluorine is Opaque
Beta fluorine is Transparent
Atomic number of fluorine9
Symbol of fluorineF
Atomic mass of fluorine18.998 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in fluorineProtons: 9, Neutrons: 10, Electrons: 9
State of fluorine (at STP)Gas
Group number of fluorine in periodic table17
Period number of fluorine in periodic table2
Block of fluorine in periodic tablep-block
Category of fluorineNonmetals (halogens)
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in fluorine2, 7
Electron configuration of fluorine[He] 2s2 2p5
Orbital diagram of fluorineorbital diagram of fluorine
Valence electrons in fluorine7
Electronegativity of fluorine (on pauling scale)3.98
Atomic radius of fluorine (van der Waals radius)135 picometers
Density of fluorine1.696 g/L
1st ionization energy of fluorine17.423 eV
Main isotope of fluorine19F
Melting point of fluorine (F2)53.48 K or -219.67 °C or -363.41 °F
Boiling point of fluorine (F2)85.03 K or -188.11 °C or -306.6 °F
Crystal structure of fluorineSimple cubic
Discovery of fluorineBy Andre-Marie Ampere in 1810

Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).

Fluorine element in Periodic table

The Fluorine element (F) has the atomic number 9 and is located in group 17 and period 2. Fluorine is a nonmetal and it is classified as a halogen element.

Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.

Facts about fluorine

Here are a few interesting facts about fluorine element.

  1. Human body contains approximately 3 mg of fluorine.
  2. Out of all the 118 elements on the periodic table, fluorine has the highest electronegativity.
  3. Fluorine has the atomic mass of 18.998 u, which makes it the lightest halogen on the periodic table.
  4. Fluorine is highly reactive and so it always exists as a compound with other elements. And fluorine is the 13th most abundant element present in the earth’s crust.
  5. Fluorine is very rarely present in the universe. Fluorine contributes only 400 parts per billion in the entire universe.
  6. The mineral of fluorine is fluorite (also known as fluorspar) and it glows in the dark when it is exposed to light.
  7. The stable isotope of fluorine is 19F and it is highly sensitive to magnetic fields.

Properties of fluorine

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of fluorine.

Physical properties of fluorine

  • Fluorine is in gaseous state at STP and its color is light pale-yellow.
  • The liquid fluorine has a bright yellow-color.
  • Fluorine is the lightest halogen which has an atomic mass of 18.998 amu.
  • The liquid fluorine is easily soluble in liquid oxygen and ozone.
  • The smell of fluorine gas is highly pungent.

Chemical properties of fluorine

  • Fluorine is a corrosive gas and it is highly toxic in nature.
  • Fluorine is a reactive element and hence it always exists in a compound form with other elements.
  • The reactivity of fluorine is very high and it can also affect diamonds up to some extent.
  • Fluorine shows an explosive reaction with water.
  • Fluorine does not show any reaction with noble gases like helium, neon and krypton.

Uses of fluorine

Here are some uses of the fluorine element.

  • Sodium fluoride (NaF) is a compound of fluorine that is used in toothpaste, which helps in preventing dental cavities.
  • Fluorine is used in making refrigerants like CFC (chlorofluorocarbon), which is used in Air conditioners, refrigerators, etc.
  • The fluorine compounds are used in processing of nuclear fuels.
  • Fluorine is also present in some drugs (in small proportions).
  • Fluorine is used in the manufacturing of teflon.

External resources:

  1. Is Fluorine an Essential Element? | Fluorides |The National Academies Press. (n.d.). Is Fluorine an Essential Element? | Fluorides |the National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/20482
  2. Chemistry of Fluorine (Z=9). (2013, October 2). Chemistry LibreTexts. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_and_Websites_(Inorganic_Chemistry)/Descriptive_Chemistry/Elements_Organized_by_Block/2_p-Block_Elements/Group_17%3A_The_Halogens/Z009_Chemistry_of_Fluorine_(Z9)
  3. Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. (n.d.). Periodic Table of Elements: Los Alamos National Laboratory. https://periodic.lanl.gov/9.shtml
  4. Dehnen, S., Schafer, L. L., Lectka, T., & Togni, A. (2021, November 22). Fluorine: A Very Special Element and Its Very Special Impacts on Chemistry. Organic Letters, 23(23), 9013–9019. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.orglett.1c03799
  5. P. (n.d.). Fluorine | F (Element) – PubChem. Fluorine | F (Element) – PubChem. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Fluorine
  6. Fluorine – Element information, properties and uses | Periodic Table. (n.d.). Fluorine – Element Information, Properties and Uses | Periodic Table. https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/9/fluorine
  7. It’s Elemental – The Element Fluorine. (n.d.). It’s Elemental – the Element Fluorine. https://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele009.html
  8. Atomic Weight of Fluorine | Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights. (n.d.). Atomic Weight of Fluorine | Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights. https://ciaaw.org/fluorine.htm
  9. Fluorine | F | ChemSpider. (n.d.). Fluorine | F | ChemSpider. http://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.4514530.html?rid=48e94499-1186-4992-8390-5257dff24c25&page_num=0
  10. C&EN: IT’S ELEMENTAL: THE PERIODIC TABLE – FLUORINE. (n.d.). C&EN: IT’S ELEMENTAL: THE PERIODIC TABLE – FLUORINE. https://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/80th/fluorine.html?
  11. Atomic Data for Fluorine (F ). (n.d.). Atomic Data for Fluorine (F ). https://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Handbook/Tables/fluorinetable1.htm
  12. Haynes, W. M. (Ed.). (2014, June 4). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. https://doi.org/10.1201/b17118
  13. Holden, et al. (2018, December 1). IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI) for the Education Community (IUPAC Technical Report). Pure and Applied Chemistry, 90(12), 1833–2092. https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0703
  14. Allred, A. (1961, June). Electronegativity values from thermochemical data. Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, 17(3–4), 215–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1902(61)80142-5
  15. Kaye, G W.C., & Laby, T H. Tables of physical and chemical constants. 15th Edition. United States.
  16. Zhang, Y., Evans, J. R. G., & Yang, S. (2011, January 11). Corrected Values for Boiling Points and Enthalpies of Vaporization of Elements in Handbooks. Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 56(2), 328–337. https://doi.org/10.1021/je1011086
  17. Emsley, J. (2011). Nature’s Building Blocks: An A-Z Guide to the Elements. United Kingdom: OUP Oxford.
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  19. Bondi, A. (1964, March). van der Waals Volumes and Radii. The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 68(3), 441–451. https://doi.org/10.1021/j100785a001
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