PAULING SCALE Meaning and
Definition
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The Pauling scale is a measure of the electronegativity of an element. Developed by American chemist Linus Pauling in 1932, this scale assigns a numerical value to each element based on its ability to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond. Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons towards itself.
The Pauling scale is a relative scale, with fluorine assigned the highest value of 4.0, indicating its strongest attraction for electrons. The scale ranges from 0.7 for cesium, the least electronegative element, to 4.0 for fluorine. Elements classified as nonmetals generally have higher electronegativities compared to metals.
The Pauling scale has significant importance in the study of chemical bonding and the prediction of bond types. The difference in electronegativity between two atoms in a bond is used to determine the bond’s polarity. If the electronegativity difference is large, such as when a metal bonds with a nonmetal, the bond is considered to be ionic. If the difference is small, such as between two nonmetal atoms, the bond is likely to be covalent.
In summary, the Pauling scale is a scale for measuring the electronegativity of elements. It assists in understanding and predicting the type of chemical bond formed between elements, playing a crucial role in the field of chemistry.
Etymology of PAULING SCALE
The word "Pauling scale" refers to the Pauling electronegativity scale, which was developed by Linus Pauling, an American chemist, in 1932. The term "Pauling" is simply derived from his name. The Pauling scale is a numerical scale that quantifies the electronegativity of elements, representing their ability to attract electrons in a chemical bond.
