How can you tell in a molecule if the atom is electronegative or not?

Question

3775 views around the world

You can reuse this answer
Creative Commons License

Answer 1 · 2016-01-06T17:21:10

Every atom in a molecule has an electronegativity.

However, some atoms are more electronegative than others.

What's important in a molecule is the electronegativity difference between the two atoms of a bond.

You get the qualitative information from electronegativity trends in the Periodic Table.

Some Periodic Tables list the electronegativity values.

Electronegativity increases from left to right and from bottom to top of the Periodic Table.

Elements that are further apart from each other have the greater electronegativity difference.