Which group in the periodic table tends to have the highest electronegativity values?

• A. Group 2 (alkaline earth metals)
• B. Group 1 (alkali metals)
• C. Group 18 (noble gases)
• D. Group 17 (halogens)

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons in a chemical bond.
2. Recall the general trend of electronegativity in the periodic table: it increases from left to right across a period and decreases from top to bottom within a group.
3. Identify the groups mentioned: Group 1 (alkali metals) and Group 2 (alkaline earth metals) are on the far left side of the periodic table and tend to have low electronegativity values because they lose electrons easily.
4. Group 18 (noble gases) generally have full valence shells and do not tend to attract electrons strongly, so their electronegativity values are not the highest.
5. Group 17 (halogens) are located one group to the left of the noble gases and have high electronegativity values because they are eager to gain one electron to complete their valence shell, making them the group with the highest electronegativity values.