In `C,N,O` and `F` the electronegativity

Options

A. Increases from carbon to fluorine
B. Decreases from carbon to fluorine
C. Increases up to oxygen and is minimum at fluorine
D. Is minimum at nitrogen and then increases continuously

Explanation

To determine the trend of electronegativity in the elements Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), and Fluorine (F), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Electronegativity**:
- Electronegativity is defined as the tendency of an atom to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond.

2. **Identifying the Elements**:
- The elements in question are Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), and Fluorine (F).

3. **Position in the Periodic Table**:
- All these elements are located in the second period of the periodic table.

4. **Trend in Electronegativity Across a Period**:
- As we move from left to right across a period, the atomic number increases, which means more protons are present in the nucleus.
- This increase in nuclear charge results in a stronger attraction between the nucleus and the electrons in the outer shell.

5. **Effect on Atomic Size**:
- The increased nuclear charge pulls the outermost electrons closer to the nucleus, leading to a decrease in atomic size.

6. **Electronegativity Trend**:
- Since electronegativity is related to the ability of an atom to attract electrons, as the atomic size decreases and the nuclear charge increases, the electronegativity also increases.
- Therefore, the electronegativity increases from Carbon to Nitrogen to Oxygen to Fluorine.

7. **Conclusion**:
- The order of electronegativity for the elements C, N, O, and F is:
- C < N < O < F
- Thus, the electronegativity increases from Carbon to Fluorine.

### Final Answer:
The electronegativity increases from Carbon to Nitrogen to Oxygen to Fluorine.