Periodic Trends: Electronegativity and Electron Affinity

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What is electronegativity?
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Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons in a chemical bond.
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How does electronegativity change across a period?
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Electronegativity increases across a period as effective nuclear charge increases.
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How does electronegativity change down a group?
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Electronegativity decreases down a group due to increased distance from the nucleus.
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Why is fluorine the most electronegative element?
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Fluorine has a high effective nuclear charge and a small atomic radius, allowing it to attract electrons strongly.
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What is electron affinity?
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Electron affinity is the energy change that occurs when an atom gains an electron.
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How does electron affinity change across a period?
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Electron affinity generally becomes more negative across a period as atoms more readily gain electrons.
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How does electron affinity change down a group?
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Electron affinity becomes less negative down a group as added electrons are further from the nucleus.
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Why do noble gases have low electron affinities?
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Noble gases have full valence shells, making them stable and less likely to gain electrons.
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Which area of the periodic table tends to have higher electron affinities?
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Nonmetals, particularly halogens, have higher electron affinities as they readily gain electrons to achieve noble gas configuration.
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How does atomic number affect electronegativity?
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Higher atomic numbers usually increase electronegativity, especially across a period, due to increased nuclear charge.
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What trend is observed for electronegativity in transition metals?
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Transition metals often have similar electronegativities within their groups due to similar atomic structures.
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Why do alkali metals have low electronegativities?
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Alkali metals have low electronegativities because they tend to lose electrons easily to form positive ions.
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What is the connection between electronegativity and chemical bonding?
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Differences in electronegativity between atoms determine the type of bond (ionic, polar covalent, or nonpolar covalent) formed.
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How does electronegativity affect molecule polarity?
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Greater differences in electronegativity between atoms in a molecule create polar bonds, resulting in polar molecules.
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Why is electron affinity important in forming anions?
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Electron affinity indicates how easily an atom can gain electrons to form anions, influencing their chemical behavior.
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