1. What is Electronegativity?

Electronegativity is a chemical property that describes an atom's ability to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond. It's a dimensionless quantity that helps predict the nature of chemical bonds.

2. Calculation Methods

The calculator supports two major electronegativity scales:

Where:

• \( \chi \) — Electronegativity (dimensionless)
• \( E_d \) — Bond dissociation energy
• \( E_a, E_b \) — Atomic energies
• \( IE \) — Ionization energy
• \( EA \) — Electron affinity

3. Importance of Electronegativity

Details: Electronegativity helps predict bond type (ionic vs covalent), bond polarity, and chemical reactivity. It's fundamental in understanding molecular structure and behavior.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Select your preferred scale, enter the required values (in eV for Mulliken, bond energies for Pauling), and click calculate.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the most widely used electronegativity scale?
A: The Pauling scale is most common, with fluorine assigned 4.0 as the most electronegative element.

Q2: What are typical electronegativity values?
A: Values range from ~0.7 (Cs) to 4.0 (F) on the Pauling scale. Most elements fall between 1-3.

Q3: How does electronegativity vary in the periodic table?
A: It generally increases across a period and decreases down a group.

Q4: What's the difference between scales?
A: Pauling is based on bond energies, Mulliken on atomic properties. Values correlate but aren't identical.

Q5: Can electronegativity predict bond type?
A: Yes, differences >1.7 typically indicate ionic bonds, while smaller differences suggest covalent bonds.