Question

Put the following in order of decreasing electronegativity [from numbers 1-5]:

Fluorine
Lithium
Carbon
Oxygen
Beryllium

Answer 1

The elements in order of decreasing electronegativity are Fluorine, Oxygen, Carbon, Beryllium, and Lithium, aligning with periodic trends that indicate higher electronegativities for nonmetals towards the upper right of the periodic table.

Step-by-step explanation:

To put the following elements in order of decreasing electronegativity, we can refer to the periodic trends and Pauling's electronegativity values. By these metrics, here is the correct order:

1. Fluorine (EN = 4.0)
2. Oxygen (EN typically close to 3.44)
3. Carbon (EN typically close to 2.55)
4. Beryllium (EN typically close to 1.57)
5. Lithium (EN typically close to 0.98)

Fluorine is known to have the highest electronegativity of all elements. Electronegativity decreases from top to bottom within a group and increases from left to right across a period. Therefore, nonmetals in the upper right corner of the periodic table, such as fluorine and oxygen, have higher electronegativities than metals such as beryllium and lithium, which are positioned further left and/or lower in the periodic table.