What do halogens form when they react with non-metals?

Halogens, which are found in Group 17 of the periodic table, typically react with non-metals to form molecular compounds. This is because halogens are highly electronegative and tend to share electrons rather than transfer them completely, leading to the formation of covalent bonds.

When halogens react with non-metals, they generally form diatomic molecules, such as hydrogen halides (e.g., HCl from chlorine and hydrogen), where the halogen atom bonds with another non-metal atom through shared pairs of electrons. This type of bond results in molecular compounds that have unique properties distinct from ionic compounds.

The other options are less applicable; for instance, ionic compounds are typically formed when there is a greater difference in electronegativity between a metal and a non-metal, resulting in electron transfer. Metal oxides refer to compounds formed from metals and oxygen, which do not involve halogens or non-metals in this context. Lastly, salts are generally ionic compounds formed from the reaction of a metal with a non-metal, particularly in reactions involving halogens with metals, rather than with non-metals directly. Thus, the most accurate characterization of the products of halogen and non-metal reactions is indeed molecular compounds.