Which property determines an atom's ability to attract electrons shared in a chemical bond?

• A. Electron affinity
• B. Atomic radius
• C. Ionization energy
• D. Electronegativity

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the question asks about the property that determines an atom's ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond, which involves shared electrons between atoms.
2. Recall the definitions of the given properties: Electron affinity is the energy change when an atom gains an electron; Atomic radius is the size of the atom; Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom.
3. Recognize that the property describing how strongly an atom attracts shared electrons in a bond is called electronegativity, which is different from electron affinity because it relates to bonded atoms, not isolated atoms gaining electrons.
4. Note that electronegativity is a dimensionless quantity that varies across the periodic table and helps predict bond polarity and molecule behavior.
5. Conclude that among the options, electronegativity best describes an atom's ability to attract electrons shared in a chemical bond.