The correct order of increasing electronegativity of the following elements is:

Options

A. C, N, Si, P
B. N, Si, C, P
C. Si, P, C, N
D. P, Si, N, C

Explanation

To determine the correct order of increasing electronegativity for the elements carbon (C), nitrogen (N), silicon (Si), and phosphorus (P), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand Electronegativity Trends
Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons. The general trends in the periodic table are:
- Electronegativity increases from left to right across a period.
- Electronegativity decreases from top to bottom within a group.

### Step 2: Identify the Position of Each Element
- Carbon (C) is located in Group 14 (IV) and Period 2.
- Nitrogen (N) is in Group 15 (V) and Period 2.
- Silicon (Si) is in Group 14 (IV) and Period 3.
- Phosphorus (P) is in Group 15 (V) and Period 3.

### Step 3: Analyze the Electronegativity Values
Based on the trends:
- Nitrogen (N) has the highest electronegativity because it is in the same period as carbon but is to the right of it.
- Carbon (C) has a higher electronegativity than silicon (Si) because carbon is in Period 2 while silicon is in Period 3.
- Phosphorus (P) has a higher electronegativity than silicon (Si) but lower than nitrogen (N).
- Silicon (Si) has the lowest electronegativity among these four elements.

### Step 4: Arrange the Elements in Order of Increasing Electronegativity
From the analysis:
- Silicon (Si) has the lowest electronegativity.
- Phosphorus (P) is next.
- Carbon (C) follows.
- Nitrogen (N) has the highest electronegativity.

Thus, the order of increasing electronegativity is:
**Silicon (Si) < Phosphorus (P) < Carbon (C) < Nitrogen (N)**

### Final Answer
The correct order of increasing electronegativity for the elements carbon, nitrogen, silicon, and phosphorus is:
**Si < P < C < N**