Properties of a free atom include ionization energy and electron affinity. Several methods of calculation have been proposed, and although there may be small differences in the numerical values of the calculated electronegativity values, all methods show the same periodic trend among the elements.Įlectronegativity, as it is usually calculated, is not strictly a property of an atom, but rather a property of an atom in a molecule. The opposite of electronegativity is electropositivity, which is a measure of an element’s ability to donate electrons.Įlectronegativity is not directly measured, but is instead calculated based on experimental measurements of other atomic or molecular properties. The higher its electronegativity, the more an element attracts electrons. An atom’s electronegativity is affected by both its atomic number and the size of the atom. electronegativity: A chemical property that describes the tendency of an atom to attract electrons (or electron density) toward itself.Įlectronegativity is a property that describes the tendency of an atom to attract electrons (or electron density) toward itself.The higher its electronegativity, the more an element attracts electrons.An atom ‘s electronegativity is affected by both the element ‘s atomic number and its size.
