Study the data in the table below, which lists Pauling electronegativity values for several elements.
Element
Electronegativity
H
2.1
Cl
3.0
Mg
1.3
O
3.5
N
3.0
Consider the four diatomic species HCl, MgO, N₂, and Cl₂.
(a) For each species, calculate the electronegativity difference, ΔEN, between the two atoms.
(b) Classify the bond in each species as predominantly non-polar covalent, polar covalent, or ionic based on your calculated ΔEN values.
(c) For the bond you judged to be most ionic and the bond you judged to be most non-polar, explain in words how the difference in electronegativity gives rise to the distribution of electron density between the atoms.