Electronegativity across period 3

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Learning outcomes

After studying this page, you should be able to:

  • describe and explain the trend in electronegativity across period 3.

Electronegativity

The table shows electronegativity values for the elements sodium to argon.

ElementSymbolAtomic numberElectronegativity
SodiumNa110.93
MagnesiumMg121.31
AluminiumAl131.61
SiliconSi141.90
PhosphorusP152.19
SulfurS162.58
ChlorineCl173.16
ArgonAr18

Electronegativity is the ability of an atom to attract the bonding electrons in a covalent bond.

The table gives values on the Pauling scale, which has no units. Fluorine (3.98) is the most electronegative element.

Electronegativity in the periodic table

Description

The graph shows how electronegativity varies across period 3:

  • as you go across period 3, electronegativity increases.

When you click on the download symbol, you will be able to download the graph as an image file or pdf file, save its data, annotate it, and print it.

Explanation

Going across period 3:

  • the nuclear charge increases …
  • the atomic radius decreases …
  • there are more electrons, but the increase in shielding is negligible because each extra electron enters the same shell
  • so electrons will be more strongly attracted to the nucleus.

In Period 3, sodium with 11 protons is the least electronegative element, and chlorine with 17 protons is the most electronegative element. You might expect argon (with 18 electrons) to be the most electronegative element in Period 3. However, it does not form covalent bonds, so it does not have an electronegativity value.