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Q.Define electronegativity. In general, how does electronegativity vary in a group and in a period of the periodic table?

Assam AhsecAHSEC Higher Secondary (HS) 1st Year Examination 2025Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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Electronegativity is an atom's tendency to attract shared bonding electrons; it decreases down a group and increases across a period (left to right).

Definition: Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom, when covalently bonded to another atom, to attract the shared pair of electrons towards itself. Unlike ionisation enthalpy or electron gain enthalpy, it is not a measurable property of an isolated atom, but a relative property that depends on the bonding environment; it is generally expressed on the Pauling scale.

Trend down a group: Electronegativity decreases on descending a group. As we go down, the atomic size (and the distance between the nucleus and the valence/bonding electrons) increases, and there is greater shielding by inner electron shells, so the nucleus attracts the shared electron pair less strongly.

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