Section: STEM · ChemistryDifficulty: Medium
Electronegativity
USUK
A measure of an atom's tendency to attract electrons in a chemical bond.
Definition
Electronegativity is a dimensionless property of an atom that measures its tendency to attract shared electrons toward itself in a chemical bond. Fluorine is the most electronegative element. Large differences in electronegativity between bonded atoms produce polar or ionic bonds, while small differences result in nonpolar covalent bonds. The Pauling scale is the most commonly used electronegativity scale.
Example
“In a water molecule, oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, pulling the shared electrons closer to itself and creating a polar molecule with a partial negative charge on oxygen and partial positive charges on the hydrogens.”
Synonyms
- electron affinity
- electron attraction
- Pauling scale value
Antonyms / Opposites
- electropositivity
Images
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Related Terms
- Covalent Bond
- Ionic Bond
- Polar Molecule
- Bond Polarity