Which statement best describes the electronegativity of an element?

• A. Electronegativity is the energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom in the gas phase.
• B. Electronegativity is the ability of an atom to lose electrons and form positive ions.
• C. Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons toward itself in a chemical bond.
• D. Electronegativity is the measure of the size of an atom.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of electronegativity. Electronegativity is a property that describes how strongly an atom attracts electrons when it forms a chemical bond with another atom.
2. Step 2: Review the given options and identify key terms. For example, 'energy required to remove an electron' refers to ionization energy, not electronegativity.
3. Step 3: Recognize that 'ability of an atom to lose electrons and form positive ions' describes metallic character or ionization tendency, not electronegativity.
4. Step 4: Note that 'measure of the size of an atom' relates to atomic radius, which is different from electronegativity.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct description of electronegativity is 'the tendency of an atom to attract electrons toward itself in a chemical bond,' as it directly relates to how atoms share or pull electrons in bonding.