Which halogen has the highest electronegativity?

• A. Bromine (Br)
• B. Fluorine (F)
• C. Chlorine (Cl)
• D. Iodine (I)

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons in a chemical bond.
2. Understand that within the halogen group (Group 17), electronegativity generally decreases as you move down the group because atomic size increases and the outer electrons are farther from the nucleus.
3. Identify the halogens given: Fluorine (F), Chlorine (Cl), Bromine (Br), and Iodine (I), and note their positions in the periodic table, with Fluorine at the top and Iodine near the bottom.
4. Use the trend that the smaller the atom and the closer the valence electrons are to the nucleus, the higher the electronegativity, which means Fluorine, being the smallest halogen, has the highest electronegativity.
5. Conclude that among the options, Fluorine (F) has the highest electronegativity based on periodic trends.