What is electronegativity?

It is a measure of how much a neutral atom wants an electron, metals have very low electronegativity, they almost always give electrons up, whereas non-metals usually uptake electrons, so they have a high electronegativity. It is formed from a sum of electron affinity and ionisation energy.

MF
Answered by Margaret F. Chemistry tutor

2164 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

How can aldehydes and ketones be distinguished?


Explain trend in why the ionisation energies increase across the period


What is the difference between 'Electrospray Ionisation' and 'Electron Impact' during the ionisation stage in a mass spectrometer?


Sodium chloride and sodium metal can both conduct electricity under differing conditions. Give the conditions required for each to conduct electricity and explain how each conducts electricity.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning