The electronegativity of the following elements increases in the order

Options

A. `S lt P lt N lt O`
B. `P lt S lt N lt O`
C. `N lt O lt P lt S`
D. `N lt P lt S lt O`

Explanation

To determine the order of increasing electronegativity for the elements nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), oxygen (O), and sulfur (S), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Elements and Their Groups/Periods:**
- Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) are in Group 15 (or Group V) of the periodic table.
- Oxygen (O) and Sulfur (S) are in Group 16 (or Group VI).
- Nitrogen and Oxygen are in Period 2, while Phosphorus and Sulfur are in Period 3.

2. **Understand Electronegativity Trends:**
- Electronegativity generally increases as you move from left to right across a period due to increasing nuclear charge, which attracts electrons more strongly.
- Electronegativity decreases as you move down a group because the atomic size increases, making it harder for the nucleus to attract bonding electrons.

3. **Compare the Elements:**
- **Oxygen (O)**: Being in Period 2 and Group 16, it has the highest electronegativity among the four elements.
- **Nitrogen (N)**: Also in Period 2 but in Group 15, it has a lower electronegativity than oxygen but higher than phosphorus and sulfur.
- **Sulfur (S)**: In Period 3 and Group 16, it has a lower electronegativity than nitrogen.
- **Phosphorus (P)**: In Period 3 and Group 15, it has the lowest electronegativity among the four.

4. **Arrange the Elements in Order of Increasing Electronegativity:**
- Based on the analysis, the order of increasing electronegativity is:
- Phosphorus (P) < Sulfur (S) < Nitrogen (N) < Oxygen (O)

5. **Final Answer:**
- Therefore, the correct order of increasing electronegativity is:
- **P < S < N < O**