Is oxygen or nitrogen more electronegative?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to compare the electronegativity of oxygen and nitrogen to determine which element has a higher electronegativity value.
Answer
Oxygen
Oxygen is more electronegative than nitrogen.
Answer for screen readers
Oxygen is more electronegative than nitrogen.
More Information
Oxygen's higher electronegativity is due to its greater number of protons, which exert a stronger attractive force on the bonding electrons compared to nitrogen.
Tips
Students often confuse electronegativity with ionization energy; they are different properties. Electronegativity refers to an atom's ability to attract and hold electrons, while ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom.
Sources
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