Electronegativity
MCAT glossary · Chemical & Physical Foundations of Biological Systems
Definition
The tendency of an atom to attract the shared electrons of a bond.
Electronegativity in plain English
When two atoms share electrons to form a bond, they're rarely sharing fairly — one atom usually pulls the shared electrons closer to itself. Electronegativity is just how strong that pull is for a given atom. Picture two kids sharing a blanket: if one is much bigger and tugs harder, the blanket (the electrons) ends up mostly on their side, leaving the other kid slightly exposed. That uneven pull is what makes one end of a bond slightly negative and the other slightly positive, which drives a huge amount of chemistry — from why water sticks to itself to how molecules dissolve.
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