electronegativity Flashcards
what does electronegativity means?
Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons. The Pauling scale is the most commonly used. Fluorine (the most electronegative element) is assigned a value of 4.0, and values range down to cesium and francium which are the least electronegative at 0.7.
electronegativity trend periodic table
On the periodic table, electronegativity generally increases as you move from left to right across a period and decreases as you move down a group. As a result, the most electronegative elements are found on the top right of the periodic table, while the least electronegative elements are found on the bottom left.
how does electronegativity determine bond polarity?
The absolute value of the difference in electronegativity (ΔEN) of two bonded atoms provides a rough measure of the polarity to be expected in the bond and, thus, the bond type. When the difference is very small or zero, the bond is covalent and nonpolar. When it is large, the bond is polar covalent or ionic.
