Question: 62. Arrange the following elements in increasing order of electronegativity.
N, O, F, C, Si
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
(1) Si < C < N < O < F
(2) Si < C < O < N < F
(3) O < F < N < C < Si
(4) F < O < N < C < Si
Answer: Option (1)
Explanation:
Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract the shared pair of electrons towards itself in a chemical bond.
Electronegativity increases across a period from left to right due to increase in effective nuclear charge and decrease in atomic size.
Among the given elements, silicon and carbon belong to Group 14, while nitrogen, oxygen and fluorine belong to Group 15, 16 and 17 respectively.
Silicon is below carbon in the same group, so it has larger atomic size and lower electronegativity than carbon.
Across the second period, electronegativity increases in the order:
C < N < O < F
Therefore, the overall increasing order of electronegativity is:
Si < C < N < O < F
Hence, the correct answer is Option (1).