Which property describes the ability of an atom to attract electrons in a bond?

• A. Electronegativity
• B. Ionic Bond
• C. Covalent Bond
• D. Hydrogen Bond

Answer: (A)

Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons toward itself when forming a chemical bond. This property explains how electron density is shared unequally in bonds, leading to bond polarity—for example, chlorine pulls electron density toward itself in H–Cl, creating a dipole. Ionic bonds describe a type of bond formed by transfer of electrons and electrostatic attraction between ions, not a single atom’s pull on electrons. Covalent bonds describe sharing of electron pairs between atoms, which is influenced by electronegativity but is not itself the measure of an atom’s pull. Hydrogen bonds are a specific intermolecular interaction that arises from polarity and hydrogen’s attraction to electronegative atoms, not a description of an atom’s inherent ability to attract electrons. Therefore, electronegativity best captures the concept of an atom attracting electrons in a bond.