Electronegativity is defined as...

• A. Ionization energy of an atom
• B. Electronegativity: tendency of an atom to acquire electrons
• C. Atomic radius of an atom
• D. Number of protons in the nucleus

Answer: (B)

Electronegativity describes how strongly an atom attracts electrons in a chemical bond. The option that matches this idea is the description of it as the tendency of an atom to acquire electrons. Ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom, which is related to how tightly electrons are held but is not the definition of electronegativity. Atomic radius is about the size of the atom, not how it pulls on bonded electrons. The number of protons in the nucleus influences the pull on electrons but does not by itself define electronegativity.