Select the correct answer.

Which pair of atoms has the highest electronegativity difference?

A. [tex]H - S[/tex]
B. [tex]H - Cl[/tex]
C. [tex]N - H[/tex]
D. [tex]O - H[/tex]
E. [tex]C - H[/tex]



Answer :

To determine which pair of atoms has the highest electronegativity difference, we will analyze the electronegativity values for each pair and calculate the differences step by step.

The electronegativity values for the relevant atoms are:
- \( \text{H} \): 2.1
- \( \text{S} \): 2.5
- \( \text{Cl} \): 3.0
- \( \text{N} \): 3.0
- \( \text{O} \): 3.5
- \( \text{C} \): 2.5

Now, we will calculate the differences for each pair:

1. \( \text{H - S} \):
[tex]\[ |2.1 - 2.5| = 0.4 \][/tex]

2. \( \text{H - Cl} \):
[tex]\[ |2.1 - 3.0| = 0.9 \][/tex]

3. \( \text{N - H} \):
[tex]\[ |3.0 - 2.1| = 0.9 \][/tex]

4. \( \text{O - H} \):
[tex]\[ |3.5 - 2.1| = 1.4 \][/tex]

5. \( \text{C - H} \):
[tex]\[ |2.5 - 2.1| = 0.4 \][/tex]

Comparing these differences, we find:
- \( \text{H - S} \): 0.4
- \( \text{H - Cl} \): 0.9
- \( \text{N - H} \): 0.9
- \( \text{O - H} \): 1.4
- \( \text{C - H} \): 0.4

The highest electronegativity difference is \( 1.4 \), which corresponds to the \( \text{O - H} \) pair.

Therefore, the correct answer is:
D. [tex]\( \text{O - H} \)[/tex]

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