Question

Which element has the highest electronegativity?

• A. Oxygen
• B. Chlorine
• C. Fluorine
• D. Nitrogen

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Fluorine

• Electronegativity is a chemical property that describes the tendency of an atom to attract a shared pair of electrons towards itself within a covalent bond.

• The most widely used scale to quantify this property is the Pauling Scale, developed by Linus Pauling in 1932.

Top Electronegative Elements

• Fluorine (F): With a value of 3.98 on the Pauling scale, Fluorine is the most electronegative element in the Periodic Table.

• Oxygen (O): Ranks second with an electronegativity value of 3.44.

• Nitrogen (N) & Chlorine (Cl): Both share a value of approximately 3.04 and 3.16 respectively, placing them high on the scale.

Periodic Trends

• Across a Period: Electronegativity increases from left to right as the atomic number increases and the atomic radius decreases, leading to a stronger pull by the nucleus on valence electrons.

• Down a Group: Electronegativity decreases from top to bottom due to the increase in atomic radius and the shielding effect, which reduces the effective nuclear charge felt by the bonding electrons.

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