Which of the following best describes the general trend of electronegativity as you move down a group in the periodic table?

• A. Electronegativity decreases
• B. Electronegativity remains constant
• C. Electronegativity first increases, then decreases
• D. Electronegativity increases

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons in a chemical bond.
2. Understand that as you move down a group in the periodic table, atoms have more electron shells, increasing the distance between the nucleus and the valence electrons.
3. Recognize that increased distance and electron shielding reduce the nucleus's pull on bonding electrons, which lowers electronegativity.
4. Therefore, the general trend is that electronegativity decreases as you move down a group in the periodic table.
5. This trend is consistent across most groups, except for some anomalies, but the overall pattern is a decrease in electronegativity down a group.