electronegativity

(noun)

The tendency of an atom or molecule to draw electrons towards itself, form dipoles, and thus form bonds.

Related Terms

  • lectronegativity
  • Electronegativi
  • hydrogen bond
  • van der Waals interactions
  • Electronegativity
  • Hydrogen bonds

Examples of electronegativity in the following topics:

  • Water’s Polarity

    • Water's charges are generated because oxygen is more electronegative, or electron loving, than hydrogen.
    • Since water is a nonlinear, or bent, molecule, the difference in electronegativities between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms generates the partial negative charge near the oxygen and partial positive charges near both hydrogens.
  • Covalent Bonds and Other Bonds and Interactions

    • The relative attraction of an atom to an electron is known as its electronegativity: atoms that are more attracted to an electron are considered to be more electronegative.
    • The dipole in water occurs because oxygen has a higher electronegativity than hydrogen, which means that the shared electrons spend more time in the vicinity of the oxygen nucleus than they do near the nucleus of the hydrogen atoms.
    • The weak interaction between the δ+ charge of a hydrogen atom from one molecule and the δ- charge of a more electronegative atom is called a hydrogen bond.
  • Peptide Bonding between Amino Acids

    • However, peptide bonds can undergo chemical reactions, typically through an attack of the electronegative atom on the carbonyl carbon, resulting in the formation of a tetrahedral intermediate.
  • Hydrogen Bonding and Van der Waals Forces

    • When this happens, an interaction occurs between the δ+of the hydrogen from one molecule and the δ– charge on the more electronegative atoms of another molecule, usually oxygen or nitrogen, or within the same molecule.
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