Physics Wallah

Electronegativity In JEE Chemistry, Important Factors, Applications, Topics For JEE 2025

Electronegativity In JEE Chemistry : In JEE Chemistry, electronegativity measures an atom's ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond. It's crucial for understanding bond polarity and reactivity, often tested in questions involving chemical bonding and molecular properties.
authorImageShrivastav 6 May, 2024
Share

Share

Electronegativity In JEE Chemistry

Electronegativity In JEE Chemistry : Electronegativity is a fundamental concept in chemistry that describes the ability of an atom to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond. It plays a crucial role in understanding various chemical phenomena, including bond polarity, molecular structure, and reactivity. This article explores the applications and different scales of electronegativity, shedding light on its significance in the realm of chemistry.

Electronegativity In JEE Chemistry : Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to attract electrons towards itself when participating in a chemical bond. It is influenced by several factors, including atomic size, nuclear charge, and electron shielding. The concept was first introduced by Linus Pauling in 1932, and since then, various scales and methods have been developed to quantify electronegativity.

A polar covalent bond of A-B may be broken as,

(Electronegativity A> Electronegativity B)

depending on their tendency to attract bonded electron.

Important Factors Affecting Electronegativity

    • Atomic size

Ex. F>Cl>Br>I

    • Effective Nuclear Charge (Z eff )

Ex. Mn +2 <Mn +4 <Mn +7

O -2 <O -1 <O<O +1 <O +2

Fe<Fe +2 <Fe +3

    • % s –Character

Electronegativity Variation in Group and Period

(A) Electronegativity decreases down the group.

(B) In period on moving from left to right electronegativity increases regularly.

(C) Electronegativity of Cs and Fr are equal, it is because from 55 Cs to 87 Fr only one shell increases but nuclear charge (No. of proton) increases by +32 , so effect of nuclear charge balanced the effect of increase in number of shell.

Electronegativity of F > Cl but Electron affinity of Cl > F

  1. In IIIA group, value of electronegativity is irregular when going down the group, because of transition contraction.

Electronegativity of Ga > Electronegativity of Al

Electronegativity values of Some Common Elements

Electronegativity

Applications of Electronegativity

  • Bond Strength : If the electronegativity difference of covalently bonded atoms ( ΔX ) increases, the bond energy of the covalent bond also increases. For example the order of the H-X bond strength is

H – F > H – Cl > H – Br > H – I

As the bond strength decreases, the acidic strength increases.

Order of increasing acidic strength is:-

HF < HCl < HBr < H – I

  • Metallic and non-metallic properties of elements :
  1. The metallic character decreases as the electronegativity of the element increases.

  2. On moving from left to right in a period, the electronegativity of the elements increases. So the metallic character decreases.

  3. On moving down a group, the electronegativity of the elements decreases, so the metallic character increases.

  • Schomaker and Stevenson law : If in a diatomic molecule electronegativities difference of A – B is more then actual bond length will be reduced. As per Schomaker and Stevenson- The reduction in bond length depends on the difference in electronegativities of atoms in following manner –

(Here X A is E.N. of A &X B is E.N. of B)

  • Acidic & Basic Strength: Nature of Hydrides:
  • Stability of Molecule Bond Energy (Strength)

Order of stability of hydro halides HF > HCl > HBr > HI

Order of acidic strength HF < HCl < HBr < HI

In VA group NH 3 < PH 3 < AsH 3 < SbH 3 < BiH 3

Thermal stability decreases

Acidic character increases

  • Nature Stability Decreases:

As per Gallis, In AOH if electronegativity of A is more than 1.7 (Non metal) then it is acidic in nature.

Important Points For Electronegativity

BeO,Al 2 O 3 ZnO,SnO,PbO,SnO 2 ,PbO 2 ,Sb 2 O 3 etc. are Amphoteric oxides.

CO,H 2 O,NO,N 2 O etc. are Neutral oxides.

Electronegativity

Electronegativity In JEE Chemistry FAQs

Q.1 : What is electronegativity, and why is it important in chemistry?

Ans: Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond. It is crucial in understanding various chemical phenomena, including bond polarity, reactivity, and molecular structure, as it helps to predict the behaviour of atoms in different chemical environments.

Q.2 : How is electronegativity used to determine bond polarity?

Ans: Electronegativity differences between atoms in a bond determine the polarity of the bond. When atoms with significantly different electronegativities form a bond, the shared electrons are pulled closer to the more electronegative atom, resulting in a polar covalent bond. Electronegativity values help quantify this difference and predict the nature of the bond.

Q.3 : How does electronegativity vary across different groups and periods of the periodic table?

Ans : In general, electronegativity tends to increase across periods from left to right and decrease down groups in the periodic table. This trend is attributed to changes in atomic size, effective nuclear charge, and electron shielding as one moves across periods and down groups. Elements on the left side of the periodic table (e.g., alkali metals) have lower electronegativities, while those on the right side (e.g., halogens) have higher electronegativities.
Join 15 Million students on the app today!
Point IconLive & recorded classes available at ease
Point IconDashboard for progress tracking
Point IconMillions of practice questions at your fingertips
Download ButtonDownload Button
Banner Image
Banner Image
Free Learning Resources
Know about Physics Wallah
Physics Wallah is an Indian edtech platform that provides accessible & comprehensive learning experiences to students from Class 6th to postgraduate level. We also provide extensive NCERT solutions, sample paper, NEET, JEE Mains, BITSAT previous year papers & more such resources to students. Physics Wallah also caters to over 3.5 million registered students and over 78 lakh+ Youtube subscribers with 4.8 rating on its app.
We Stand Out because
We provide students with intensive courses with India’s qualified & experienced faculties & mentors. PW strives to make the learning experience comprehensive and accessible for students of all sections of society. We believe in empowering every single student who couldn't dream of a good career in engineering and medical field earlier.
Our Key Focus Areas
Physics Wallah's main focus is to make the learning experience as economical as possible for all students. With our affordable courses like Lakshya, Udaan and Arjuna and many others, we have been able to provide a platform for lakhs of aspirants. From providing Chemistry, Maths, Physics formula to giving e-books of eminent authors like RD Sharma, RS Aggarwal and Lakhmir Singh, PW focuses on every single student's need for preparation.
What Makes Us Different
Physics Wallah strives to develop a comprehensive pedagogical structure for students, where they get a state-of-the-art learning experience with study material and resources. Apart from catering students preparing for JEE Mains and NEET, PW also provides study material for each state board like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and others

Copyright © 2025 Physicswallah Limited All rights reserved.