alleryStart learning →How does electronegativity change across a period and down a group?
ARises across a period, falls down a group
BFalls across a period, rises down a group
CRises across a period, rises down a group
DFalls across a period, falls down a group
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Rises across a period, falls down a group
1. Moving left to right across a period, electronegativity increases.
2. Moving down a group, electronegativity decreases.
3. Putting the two trends together drives the highest values into the upper right of the table.
4. That is why the nonmetals there are the most electronegative and the group 1 metals the least.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section Electronegativity_
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