Question

(a) What is meant by the term electronegativity? (b) On the Pauling scale what is the range of electronegativity values for the elements? (c) Which element has the greatest electronegativity? (d) Which element has the smallest electronegativity?

Short answer

(a) Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's tendency to attract bonding electrons in a chemical bond, determining bond type and molecule polarity. (b) On the Pauling scale, electronegativity values range from ~0.7 to 4.0. (c) Fluorine (F) has the greatest electronegativity value (3.98). (d) Cesium (Cs) has the smallest electronegativity value (0.79).

Step-by-step solution

(a) Definition of Electronegativity

Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons in a chemical bond. It is an important property of atoms that helps determine the type of bond formation and the polarity of molecules.

(b) Pauling Scale Range

The Pauling scale is a dimensionless scale that assigns electronegativity values to elements, ranging from approximately 0.7 to 4.0. The values are based on relative energy levels of the electrons involved in bond formation, with higher values indicating a greater tendency to attract electrons.

(c) Element with Greatest Electronegativity

Fluorine (F) has the greatest electronegativity value on the Pauling scale, with a value of 3.98. This means that fluorine atoms have the strongest tendency to attract bonding electrons, making it a highly reactive element.

(d) Element with Smallest Electronegativity

Cesium (Cs) has the smallest electronegativity value on the Pauling scale, with a value of 0.79. This means that cesium atoms have the weakest tendency to attract bonding electrons, which leads to cesium's relatively low reactivity as a metal.