Electronegativity scale

Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons in a chemical bond. The scale, most commonly the Pauling scale, ranges from 0 to about 4, with higher values indicating a stronger attraction for electrons. For example, fluorine, the most electronegative element, has a value of around 4, meaning it attracts electrons very strongly. This concept helps predict how atoms will interact in compounds: atoms with similar electronegativities share electrons more evenly, while those with large differences will create polar bonds, leading to molecules with distinct charge distributions.