Final answer:
Atoms with high electronegativities are more likely to gain electrons and undergo reduction rather than oxidation in chemical reactions. Oxidation involves losing electrons, while reduction involves gaining electrons, and highly electronegative atoms, like oxygen, typically act as oxidizing agents.
Step-by-step explanation:
Atoms with high electronegativities tend to attract electrons and hold onto them strongly. In chemical reactions, this means that such atoms are more likely to gain electrons and undergo reduction. To understand this, it's important to recall the principles of oxidation and reduction. Oxidation is the process in which an atom loses electrons, leading to an increase in oxidation state. Conversely, reduction involves an atom gaining electrons, resulting in a decrease in oxidation state.
For instance, highly electronegative elements like oxygen are generally good oxidizing agents and tend to gain electrons, going from an oxidation state of 0 to -2. As such, oxygen typically causes other substances to lose electrons or to be oxidized, while itself being reduced in the process. Similarly, nonmetallic elements with high electronegativities can form covalent compounds that contain acidic -OH groups, which behaves as oxyacids in a reaction. Therefore, atoms with high electronegativities tend to be reduced rather than to oxidize other substances.