Classify the following elements based on their electronegativity: Fluorine, Sodium, Chlorine, and Magnesium. Which category do they fall into regarding their electronegativity behavior?

Fluorine and chlorine are highly electronegative, meaning they strongly attract electrons, while sodium and magnesium are much less electronegative and tend to lose electrons. This difference places fluorine and chlorine in the “high electronegativity” category, whereas sodium and magnesium belong to the “low electronegativity” group. The high values for F and Cl arise from their small size and high effective nuclear charge, which pulls electrons tightly. For example, in a NaF crystal, sodium gives up an electron to fluorine, forming Na⁺ and F⁻, illustrating the high electronegativity of fluorine compared to sodium. Thus, fluorine and chlorine behave as strong electron attractors, whereas sodium and magnesium are more prone to donating electrons.