Explain the pattern of boiling points for alkyl halides with different halogens in the same alkyl group.

The boiling points of alkyl halides with different halogens in the same alkyl group generally follow the trend: fluoroalkanes < chloroalkanes < bromoalkanes < iodoalkanes. This trend is influenced by the increasing size and molecular weight of the halogen. As the halogen size increases down the group, van der Waals forces between molecules also increase. Larger halogens have more electrons, leading to stronger London dispersion forces. These enhanced intermolecular forces require more energy for boiling, resulting in the observed trend. Thus, iodoalkanes, with the largest iodine atom, exhibit the highest boiling points within the same alkyl group.