Using what you know about the trend of electronegativity on the periodic table, which of the following elements would be the most electronegative?
a
Iron
b
Fluorine
c
Neon
d
Calcium
b) Fluorine
Based on the trend of electronegativity on the periodic table, the element Fluorine (b) is the most electronegative out of the options given. Electronegativity generally increases as you move across a period from left to right, and Fluorine is in Group 17, which is the most electronegative group on the periodic table.
To determine which element out of a, Iron, b, Fluorine, c, Neon, and d, Calcium, is the most electronegative, we need to understand the trend of electronegativity on the periodic table. Electronegativity is the ability of an atom to attract electrons towards itself when it is part of a bond in a molecule.
The electronegativity generally increases as you move from left to right across a period in the periodic table and decreases as you move down a group. So, elements on the right side of the periodic table tend to have higher electronegativities than those on the left side.
Now, let's compare the positions of the given elements on the periodic table:
- Iron (Fe) is located in the transition metals in the middle of the periodic table.
- Fluorine (F) is located in the top right corner of the periodic table in Group 17 (or Group 7A), also known as the halogens.
- Neon (Ne) is located in Group 18 (or Group 8A), the noble gases, on the far right side of the periodic table.
- Calcium (Ca) is located in Group 2 (or Group 2A), the alkaline earth metals, on the left side of the periodic table.
Based on the trend, Fluorine (F) would be the most electronegative element among the given options. The halogens, including Fluorine, have the highest electronegativities on the periodic table.
Therefore, the correct answer is b) Fluorine.