Which of the following should have the highest surface tension at a given temperature?
a. ch4
b. cf4
c. ccl4
d. cbr4
e. ci4

E. CI4

Explanation:

The substance with the highest surface tension will be the one with the strongest intemolecular forces

All of the molecules have the formula CX4, where the X represents the halogen. All of them have a tetrahedral geometry. The geometry is important because it allows us to deduce that even thought all bonds are polar, the molecules of these substances themselves are non-polar since they are symmetrical. So the dominant forces in these substances are London dispersion forces which increase in strength as the size of the molecule increases. The biggest molecule is CI4

you need to take a look at the periodic system in order to sort these elements into pairs that would most likely exhibit similar chemical properties. first, you need to find elements that are found in the same group (groups are vertical in the periodic system), and then to see whether they have the same valence number. if they meet these criteria, they will have similar properties.

the first pair: ne (neon) and kr (krypton), are noble gases found in group 8

the second pair: li (lithium) and k (potassium), found in group 1

the third pair: s (sulfur) and te (tellurium), found in group 6

idk what the question is about