Question

In general, electronegativity ___ while going left to right across a row in the periodic table.

• A. decreases
• B. increases
• C. remains constant
• D. decreases and then increases

Answer 1

The correct option is B increases

The positively charged protons in the nucleus attract the negatively charged electrons. The number of protons in the nucleus increases as we move from left to right in the periodic table. As a result, electron affinity increases from left to right across the periodic table. Therefore electronegativity increases from left to right in a row in the periodic table. Moving from left to right across a period, atoms become smaller and smaller as the atomic number increases.