Chemistry Regents Practice Test

Which of the following describes the relationship between electronegativity and the ability of an element to attract electrons?

1. Higher electronegativity means less attraction

2. Lower electronegativity means stronger attraction

3. Higher electronegativity means stronger attraction

4. Electronegativity has no effect on attraction

The correct answer is: Higher electronegativity means stronger attraction

Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons in a chemical bond. Therefore, when an element has a higher electronegativity, it indicates a stronger ability to attract electrons towards itself in a covalent bond. This means that the atom is more effective at pulling shared electrons, leading to greater polarization of the bond and a stronger overall attraction for those electrons. For instance, in a molecule like water (H2O), oxygen has a higher electronegativity than hydrogen. This difference causes the shared electrons to spend more time closer to the oxygen atom, resulting in the formation of a partial negative charge on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on the hydrogens. Thus, the higher electronegativity directly correlates with a stronger attraction for electrons. Understanding this relationship is crucial, as it helps predict the behavior of molecules and the nature of the bonds they form, influencing properties like polarity and reactivity.