Electronegativity of the elements O,F,S and Cl increases in the order

Options

A. S,Cl,O,F
B. Cl,S,O,F
C. S,Cl,F,O
D. Cl,S,F,O

Answer

To determine the order of electronegativity for the elements oxygen (O), fluorine (F), sulfur (S), and chlorine (Cl), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the Position of Elements in the Periodic Table
- Oxygen (O) and sulfur (S) are in Group 16 (the chalcogens), with oxygen in Period 2 and sulfur in Period 3.
- Fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl) are in Group 17 (the halogens), with fluorine in Period 2 and chlorine in Period 3.

### Step 2: Analyze Electronegativity Trends
- **Across a Period**: Electronegativity increases from left to right across a period due to increasing nuclear charge and decreasing atomic radius.
- **Down a Group**: Electronegativity decreases down a group due to increasing atomic radius and shielding effect.

### Step 3: Compare Electronegativity of the Elements
1. **Sulfur (S)**: Being in Period 3 and below oxygen, it will have the lowest electronegativity among these four.
2. **Chlorine (Cl)**: It is more electronegative than sulfur but less than oxygen because it is in the same period as sulfur.
3. **Oxygen (O)**: It is more electronegative than chlorine because it is in Period 2.
4. **Fluorine (F)**: It is the most electronegative element in the periodic table, being in Period 2 and Group 17.

### Step 4: Arrange in Order of Increasing Electronegativity
Based on the analysis:
- Sulfur (S) < Chlorine (Cl) < Oxygen (O) < Fluorine (F)

### Final Order
The order of increasing electronegativity for the elements O, F, S, and Cl is:
**S < Cl < O < F**