NEET levelSingle correct optionDifficulty 1 of 3pt219
Fluorine shows only the oxidation state −1 in its compounds (apart from the elemental state). This is mainly because fluorine
Ais the most electronegative element and has no vacant d orbitals
Bis a very large atom
Chas a very low ionisation enthalpy
Dhas several unpaired electrons
Answer: A
Fluorine is the most electronegative element, so it always attracts the shared pair and carries a negative oxidation number. Having only the second shell, it has no low-lying d orbitals and cannot expand its octet to show positive states.