consider the elements;Na,Mg,Cl and F.state with reasons,which element has the highest electronegativity. 2. Arrange with reasons, the elements in decreasing order of ionization energy
http://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/8762/why-is-fluorine-the-most-electronegative-atom
To determine which element has the highest electronegativity among Na, Mg, Cl, and F, we can refer to the periodic trends of electronegativity. Electronegativity generally increases from left to right across a period and decreases from top to bottom within a group on the periodic table.
1. Sodium (Na): Sodium is a metal, and metals tend to have low electronegativity. It has one valence electron and a relatively large atomic radius. Therefore, sodium has the lowest electronegativity among the given elements.
2. Magnesium (Mg): Magnesium is also a metal and follows the same trend as sodium. It has two valence electrons and a larger atomic radius compared to the next two elements. Thus, magnesium has higher electronegativity than sodium but lower than the remaining elements.
3. Chlorine (Cl): Chlorine is a nonmetal and tends to have a higher electronegativity than metals. Being in Group 17 (Group VIIA) of the periodic table, it has seven valence electrons and a smaller atomic radius than the previous two elements. Consequently, chlorine has a higher electronegativity than sodium and magnesium.
4. Fluorine (F): Fluorine is also a nonmetal and has the highest electronegativity among the given elements. Fluorine's position in Group 17 with its atomic number being 9 means it has higher nuclear charge and a smaller atomic radius compared to chlorine. Consequently, fluorine has the highest electronegativity.
In summary, the element with the highest electronegativity is Fluorine (F).
Moving on to ionization energy, it is the energy required to remove one electron from an atom in the gas phase. Similar to electronegativity, ionization energy follows trends on the periodic table.
1. Sodium (Na): Sodium is a metal, and metals generally have low ionization energy. Therefore, sodium has the lowest ionization energy among the given elements.
2. Magnesium (Mg): Magnesium is also a metal, but it has a higher ionization energy compared to sodium because it has a higher nuclear charge and a smaller atomic radius.
3. Chlorine (Cl): Chlorine is a nonmetal and has a higher ionization energy than sodium and magnesium since nonmetals tend to have higher ionization energy than metals. The smaller atomic radius of chlorine also makes it more difficult to remove an electron, resulting in higher ionization energy.
4. Fluorine (F): Fluorine, being a nonmetal like chlorine, has the highest ionization energy among the elements. Its smaller atomic radius and higher nuclear charge make it more challenging to remove an electron, resulting in the highest ionization energy.
Therefore, the elements arranged in decreasing order of ionization energy are: Fluorine (F) > Chlorine (Cl) > Magnesium (Mg) > Sodium (Na).