Editing Nonmetal (section)

=== Halogen nonmetals ===
{{Main|Halogen}}Chemically, the halogen nonmetals have high ionization energies, electron affinities, and electronegativity values, and are relatively strong [[oxidizing agent]]s.<ref name="oxidizing">[[#Rudolph|Rudolph 1973, p. 133]]: "Oxygen and the halogens in particular{{nbsp}}... are therefore strong oxidizing agents."</ref> All four elements tend to form primarily [[ionic compound]]s with metals,<ref name="Cotton">[[#Cotton|Cotton et al. 1999, p. 554]]</ref> in contrast to the remaining nonmetals (except for oxygen) which tend to form primarily [[covalent compound]]s with metals.{{efn|Metal oxides are usually somewhat ionic, depending upon the metal element electropositivity.<ref>[[#Woodward|Woodward et al. 1999, pp. 133–194]]</ref> On the other hand, oxides of metals with high oxidation states are often either polymeric or covalent.<ref>[[#Phillips1965|Phillips & Williams 1965, pp. 478–479]]</ref> A polymeric oxide has a linked structure composed of multiple repeating units.<ref>[[#Moeller1989|Moeller et al. 1989, p. 314]]</ref>}}