Question

What does Electronegativity do across a group and period: increase or decrease?

A) Increase
B) Decrease
C) It remains constant
D) It varies unpredictably

Answer 1

Electronegativities generally increase from left to right across a period, while they decrease from top to bottom within a group.

Step-by-step explanation:

Electronegativities generally increase from left to right across a period. This is due to an increase in nuclear charge. Alkali metals have the lowest electronegativities, while halogens have the highest. Electronegativities generally decrease from top to bottom within a group, due to the larger atomic size.