Science
What is Electronegativity?
Electronegativity is a measure of how strongly an atom pulls shared electrons toward itself in a chemical bond. Large differences in electronegativity decide whether a bond is balanced or lopsided — which shapes how molecules behave.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains electronegativity.
Key things to understand
- 1It ranks atoms by their pull on bonding electrons; fluorine is the strongest.
- 2A big difference makes one atom partly negative and the other partly positive (a polar bond).
- 3This polarity is why water is a great solvent and sticks to itself.
- 4Roughly equal sharing gives a nonpolar bond.
- 5It increases across the periodic table toward the top-right.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does electronegativity matter?
- It determines bond polarity, which controls a molecule's shape, solubility, and reactivity — including why water behaves so specially.
- Which element is most electronegative?
- Fluorine pulls bonding electrons the hardest, making it the most electronegative element.
- What is a polar bond?
- A bond where electrons are shared unequally because one atom is more electronegative, giving the molecule slightly charged ends.