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Which group contains the most electronegative elements in the periodic table?

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Electronegativity increases across a period and decreases down a group. Fluorine (Group 17) has the highest electronegativity among all elements.
Updated On: Apr 30, 2026
  • Group 1
  • Group 2
  • Group 16
  • Group 17
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks us to identify the specific vertical column (group) in the periodic table that hosts the elements with the highest electronegativity.
Step 2: Detailed Solution:
Electronegativity is an atom's ability to attract shared pairs of electrons towards itself in a covalent bond.
The general periodic trend dictates that electronegativity increases as you move from left to right across a period (due to increasing nuclear charge) and decreases as you move down a group (due to increasing atomic size and shielding).
Following these trends, the elements with the highest electronegativity are located at the top right of the periodic table (excluding the noble gases in Group 18, which generally do not form bonds).
Group 17 consists of the halogens (Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine).
Fluorine, located at the top of Group 17, is the most electronegative element in the entire periodic table (value of 4.0 on the Pauling scale).
Consequently, Group 17 as a whole contains the most electronegative elements.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Group 17 contains the most electronegative elements.
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