Central Atom

[DanielaWong_2G]

How do we determine what the central atom is? I know I wrote it down somewhere but I can't seem to find it. Was it the higher electronegative atom?

[Alyssa_Wieand_2G]

It is usually the atom will the least ionization energy.

[Myra_Zhan_2N]

The central atom is generally the least electronegative atom. The electronegativity increases across a period but decreases down a group.

[Minu Reddy]

Remember that the ionization energy increases across a period and decreases across a group.

So you would want to pick elements that are on the bottom left hand corner of the periodic table.

[dayannaramirez_1J]

Why does the central atom need a low ionization energy?

[Tiffany_Hoang_3C]

The least electronegative atom means not a lot of energy is needed to remove an electron from the atom. This means that it is more likely to share electrons and create bonds, making it a good central atom.