Electronegativity and Formal Charge

Question 1

What is electronegativity?

Answer 1

It is the ability of an atom to attract a pair of bonding electrons in its highest energy level.

Question 2

What is the first factor that electronegativity depends on?

Answer 2

Distance: how far the electron is from the nucleus.

Question 3

What is the second factor of electronegativity?

Answer 3

Shielding: the repulsive forces from the inner electrons

Question 4

What is the third factor of electronegativity?

Answer 4

Strength of the (+) charge: number of protons in the nucleus

Question 5

What is the electronegativity range for non-polar covalent bonds?

Answer 5

0.0-0.5 because the atoms of the elements involved have similar high electronegativites so electrons are shared evenly.

Question 6

What is the electronegativity range for polar covalent bonds?

Answer 6

0.5-1.7 because one atom may have a slightly higher electronegativity and hog the other’s electrons creating uneven sharing.

Question 7

What is the electronegativity range for ionic bonds?

Answer 7

> 1.7 because the atoms involved have different electromagnetism in which one atom takes the bonding electrons from another, resulting in a transfer of elections due to electrostatic attractions. (metal usually transfers to non-metal)