Examples of Electronegativity Differences in Bonding

📚 Quick Study Guide

• ⚛️ Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond.
• 📈 Electronegativity generally increases across a period (left to right) and decreases down a group (top to bottom) in the periodic table.
• ⚖️ The electronegativity difference between two atoms in a bond helps determine the type of bond: nonpolar covalent, polar covalent, or ionic.
• 🧮 A small electronegativity difference (0-0.4) indicates a nonpolar covalent bond. Example: $H_2$
• 🧪 An intermediate electronegativity difference (0.4-1.7) indicates a polar covalent bond. Example: $H_2O$
• ⚡ A large electronegativity difference (>1.7) indicates an ionic bond. Example: $NaCl$
• 🔑 Pauling scale is the most common scale used to determine electronegativity values.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following compounds is most likely to exhibit an ionic bond?
   1. $CO_2$
   2. $H_2O$
   3. $NaCl$
   4. $CH_4$
2. What type of bond is formed when the electronegativity difference between two atoms is 0.2?
   1. Ionic
   2. Polar covalent
   3. Nonpolar covalent
   4. Metallic
3. Which of the following bonds is the most polar?
   1. C-H
   2. O-H
   3. N-H
   4. F-H
4. In a molecule of $HF$, which atom carries a partial negative charge (δ-)?
   1. H
   2. F
   3. Both H and F
   4. Neither H nor F
5. Which of the following pairs of elements would form the most polar bond?
   1. Na and Cl
   2. H and H
   3. C and H
   4. O and O
6. What is the approximate electronegativity difference range for a polar covalent bond?
   1. 0 - 0.4
   2. 0.4 - 1.7
   3. Greater than 1.7
   4. Exactly 0
7. Which of the following molecules contains a nonpolar covalent bond?
   1. $HCl$
   2. $O_2$
   3. $H_2O$
   4. $NH_3$