Final answer:
Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract shared electrons when part of a compound, affecting the bond type and charge distribution between bonded atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The measure of the ability of an atom in a chemical compound to attract electrons from another atom in the compound, which leads to unequal sharing in a covalent bond, is known as electronegativity. Electronegativity is a critical concept in chemistry that explains why some bonds are nonpolar covalent and others are polar covalent. An atom with a high electronegativity will attract electrons more strongly, acquiring a partial negative charge, whereas the less electronegative atom will have a partial positive charge. This difference in electronegativity influences the type of bond that forms between atoms: a small difference results in a covalent bond, while a large difference could lead to an ionic bond.
A classic example is the bond between a hydrogen atom and an oxygen atom in water (H2O), where oxygen has a higher electronegativity and attracts the shared electrons more than hydrogen, creating a polar covalent bond.