Where is electronegativity greatest on the periodic table

From this, we can see that both cesium "Cs" and francium "Fr" share the award for the lowest value, and fluorine "F" has the highest value. In simple terms, electronegativity is a measure of the ability of an atom to pull or attract electrons toward itself when it is chemically bonded to another element.

The higher the electronegativity, the more that atom's nucleus "pulls" the bonding electrons toward itself. We can generalize the fact that if an atom is larger , the farther the electrons are located relative to the nucleus, and the weaker the nucleus is able to pull electrons toward itself. In contrast, the smaller the atom, the closer the electrons are to the nucleus, and the nucleus can pull them in with a stronger force.

Therefore, electronegativity is most generally inversely proportional to atomic radius. That is, the larger the radius larger the size , the lower the electronegativity. That's why in the diagram the larger atoms near the bottom-left of the table have a lower electronegativity, and the smaller atoms near the top-right have a higher electronegativity.

Learning outcomes After studying this page, you should be able to: describe and explain the trend in electronegativity across period 3. Electronegativity The table shows electronegativity values for the elements Na to Ar. Element Symbol Atomic number Electronegativity sodium Na 11 0. Electronegativity is the ability of an atom to attract the bonding electrons in a covalent bond.

The concept of electronegativity was introduced by Linus Pauling in ; on the Pauling scale, fluorine is assigned an electronegativity of 3. Other electronegativity scales include the Mulliken scale, proposed by Robert S.

Mulliken in , in which the first ionization energy and electron affinity are averaged together, and the Allred-Rochow scale, which measures the electrostatic attraction between the nucleus of an atom and its valence electrons. Electronegativity varies in a predictable way across the periodic table. Electronegativity increases from bottom to top in groups , and increases from left to right across periods.

Thus, fluorine is the most electronegative element, while francium is one of the least electronegative. Helium, neon, and argon are not listed in the Pauling electronegativity scale, although in the Allred-Rochow scale, helium has the highest electronegativity. Click here: for a schematic overview of the periodic table of elements in chart form. Please report any accidental mistake in the above statistics on chemical elements. Toggle navigation.