Question

Whether or not an atom donates or shares its valence electrons is determined by the amount of pull that one atom exerts on the electrons or the _____ of the atom.

a) Atomic radius
b) Mass number
c) Ionization energy
d) Atomic number

Answer 1

The pull that an atom exerts on electrons, known as its electronegativity, determines whether an atom will donate or share its valence electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

Whether an atom donates or shares its valence electrons is determined by the pull that one atom exerts on the electrons, known as the electronegativity of the atom. In the case of an atom forming a bond with another atom, its tendency to donate or accept electrons is influenced by its ionization energy (how tough it is to remove an electron) and its electron affinity (how much the atom attracts other electrons).

When atoms with different electronegativities form a bond, it can be a tug-of-war scenario. The atom with higher electronegativity will pull the shared electrons closer to itself. If the difference is significant, the bond may become ionic, with one atom actually donating its electron to the other. Overall, electronegativity is a crucial factor that determines the type of bond formed—ionic or covalent—and whether an atom donates or shares electrons.