Which of the following statements about fluoride (F) is true?

• A. Fluoride has a lower electronegativity than sodium.
• B. Fluoride's electronegativity decreases as you move across a period.
• C. Fluoride has the highest electronegativity of all elements.
• D. Fluoride is less electronegative than chlorine.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Recall that electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond.
2. Understand the general trend of electronegativity in the periodic table: it increases across a period from left to right and decreases down a group.
3. Identify the position of fluoride (F) in the periodic table: it is in period 2, group 17 (halogens), which are known for high electronegativity values.
4. Compare fluoride's electronegativity to sodium (Na), chlorine (Cl), and other elements: sodium is an alkali metal with low electronegativity, chlorine is also a halogen but one period below fluorine, so it has slightly lower electronegativity than fluorine.
5. Conclude that fluoride has the highest electronegativity of all elements, making the statement 'Fluoride has the highest electronegativity of all elements' true.