Electronegativity [ENDORSED]

[Lily Nguyen 3G]

If electronegativity increases as you go up a group and across a period, why is fluorine the most electronegative element?

[allyz1F]

Fluorine is the most electronegative element because it is the most readily available to fill its octet and obtain a noble gas configuration because it has seven valence electrons; or if you will, it is the most "willing" to accept a single electron to fill its octet and the most "unwilling" to donate electrons to fill other octets.

[SalmaQ]

Fluorine on the periodic table is the first element in that group and it is pretty far to the right so it does still follow the electronegativity trend of increasing across the periods and up a group.

[Mitch Walters]

Fluorine is in the perfect place to fit that trend. It's in the top corner, so it makes sense that it would be the most electronegative.

[Julia Meno 1D]

And just to add on, the most electronegative atom is Fluorine instead of Neon because Neon is a noble gas and therefore doesn't "want" more electrons because it already has a filled valence shell.

[isauramora3K]

Fluorine is the most electronegative element because it has 5 electrons in its 2P shell. Since is so close to noble gas configuration the electrons are held very close to the nucleus and its desire to gain an electron is very high.