Question

For each of the following pairs of elements, identify which element would be expected to be more electronegative. It should not be necessary to look at a table of actual electronegativity values. a. Be or Ba b. \(\mathrm{N}\) or \(\mathrm{P}\) c. F or Cl

Short answer

a. Be is expected to be more electronegative than Ba. b. N is expected to be more electronegative than P. c. F is expected to be more electronegative than Cl.

Step-by-step solution

a. Be or Ba

Based on the locations of Be and Ba on the periodic table, Be is located in Group 2 and Period 2, while Ba is located in Group 2 and Period 6. Since electronegativity tends to decrease down a group, Be is expected to be more electronegative than Ba.

b. N or P

Both N and P are elements of Group 15, but N is located in Period 2, while P is situated in Period 3. Since electronegativity generally decreases down a group, N is expected to be more electronegative than P.

c. F or Cl

Both F and Cl belong to the halogens and are located in Group 17. F is in Period 2 and Cl is in Period 3. As electronegativity tends to decrease as we move down the group, F is expected to be more electronegative than Cl.