According to the material, electronegativity increases left to right across a period and upward on the periodic table. Which property does this describe?

According to the material, electronegativity increases left to right across a period and upward on the periodic table. Which property does this describe?

• A. Ionization energy
• B. Atomic size
• C. Electron affinity
• D. Electronegativity

Answer: (D)

Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract the shared electrons in a chemical bond. Across a period from left to right, increasing nuclear charge (more protons) strengthens the pull on bonding electrons without a large increase in shielding, so atoms attract electrons more strongly. Moving upward in a group, atoms become smaller, and the electrons in bonds feel a stronger pull from a more compact nucleus with less shielding, raising electronegativity still. This exact directional trend describes electronegativity. Ionization energy also increases in the same directions but is about how hard it is to remove an electron, not how strongly an atom attracts electrons in a bond. Atomic size and electron affinity don’t align with that clean left-to-right and upward pattern.

Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract the shared electrons in a chemical bond. Across a period from left to right, increasing nuclear charge (more protons) strengthens the pull on bonding electrons without a large increase in shielding, so atoms attract electrons more strongly. Moving upward in a group, atoms become smaller, and the electrons in bonds feel a stronger pull from a more compact nucleus with less shielding, raising electronegativity still. This exact directional trend describes electronegativity. Ionization energy also increases in the same directions but is about how hard it is to remove an electron, not how strongly an atom attracts electrons in a bond. Atomic size and electron affinity don’t align with that clean left-to-right and upward pattern.