Electronegativity Definition, Types, Examples & Uses

Electronegativity

Subject: Chemistry

Book: General Chemistry

Electronegativity measures an atom’s tendency to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond. The Pauling scale is often used to quantify this property, with fluorine assigned the highest value (4.0). Electronegativity differences between atoms determine bond polarity (e.g., polar covalent, nonpolar covalent). This concept is crucial for understanding molecular dipoles, reactivity, and intermolecular forces in molecules of all types.