Question

Which element in period 4 has the highest electronegativity

Answer 1

Bromine (Br) has the highest electronegativity.

Step-by-step explanation:

Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to attract the bonding electrons towards itself.

In general, electronegativity increases on moving from left to right across a period. Therefore, the most electronegative elements occupy the rightmost column of the periodic table. This is because, on moving across a period the atomic number increases which increases the nuclear charge on the atom. As a result, the electrons around the vicinity of such atoms feel a strong nuclear pull.

Although, noble gases occupy the last column on the right of the periodic table, they already have completely filled octets and hence in general do not exhibit electronegativity. Therefore, it is the halogen group which precede the noble gases, that are the most electronegative. Period 4, terminates with the halogen, bromine (Br) which is the most electronegative.

Answer 2

Electronegativity is the property of an element that measures the ability of it to attract and form electron bonds. The trend in the periodic table in terms of electronegativity decreases from right to left and from top to bottom. In the case of period 4, the element with the highest electronegativity is bromine.