Question

Assertion (A): ICl is more reactive than I₂
Reason(R): I-Cl bond is weak than I-I bond
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

• A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
• B. Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
• C. (A) is correct but (R) is not correct
• D. (A) is not correct but (R) is correct

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Assertion (A) states that ICl is more reactive than I₂. The reactivity of a molecule often depends on the bond strength within it; weaker bonds tend to break more easily, leading to higher reactivity. The Reason (R) given is that the I-Cl bond is weaker than the I-I bond.

The I-Cl bond involves atoms of different electronegativities, which leads to a polar bond. In contrast, the I-I bond is a nonpolar bond between two identical iodine atoms. Generally, polarly bonded molecules, such as ICl, exhibit greater reactivity compared to nonpolar molecules like I₂ because the polar bond is easier to break due to its inherent instability.

The assertion and reason can be analyzed as follows:

• ICl being more reactive than I₂ is true because the I-Cl bond is indeed weaker than the I-I bond.
• The reason correctly explains the assertion because the weaker I-Cl bond strength contributes directly to the increased reactivity of ICl.

Therefore, the most appropriate answer is that Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).