Electronegativity

Electronegativity measures how strongly an atom attracts shared electrons in a chemical bond. It is a relative property, not an isolated atom’s directly measurable charge.

Pauling scale: A scale that assigns electronegativity values from bond dissociation energies and comparisons among elements. Its bond-energy method is the best-known way to quantify differences between bonded atoms.
Chemical bond: An interaction that holds atoms or ions together through electrostatic forces and shared or transferred electrons. Electronegativity describes electron attraction specifically within a bond.
Oxidation state: A bookkeeping charge assigned to an atom by treating bonds as if their electrons belonged to the more electronegative atom. Electronegativity determines which atom receives the bonding electrons in oxidation-state assignments.
Electron affinity: The energy change when an isolated gaseous atom gains an electron. It is a measurable atomic energy, whereas electronegativity is a relative bonding tendency.
Mulliken scale: An electronegativity scale defined as the average of an atom’s ionization energy and electron affinity. It estimates electron attraction from isolated-atom properties rather than bond energies.
Valence electron: An electron in an atom’s outer shell that can participate in chemical bonding. These are the electrons whose unequal sharing electronegativity describes.
Inductive effect: The transmission of electron-density shifts through sigma bonds caused by electronegativity differences. Electronegative substituents withdraw electron density through connected bonds.
Electropositivity: The tendency of an atom to lose electrons and form positive ions. It emphasizes electron donation, opposite to electronegativity’s attraction for shared electrons.
Allen scale: An electronegativity scale based on the average energy of valence electrons in an atom. It derives values from atomic spectral data, offering a distinct basis for comparison.
Ionization energy: The energy required to remove an electron from an isolated gaseous atom or ion. It contributes directly to the Mulliken scale and reflects an atom’s hold on electrons.

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