C. The greater the electronegativity of one atom, the stronger the bond covalent nature becomes.

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Understanding Covalent Bonds: How Greater Electronegativity Strengthens Atomic Attractions When exploring the fundamental forces that hold molecules together, covalent bonds stand out as one of the most essential types of chemical bonding. At the heart of strong covalent bonds lies a key principle: the greater the electronegativity difference between bonded atoms, the stronger their shared electron attraction becomes. In this article, we’ll explore how electronegativity influences covalent bond strength, why this matters in chemistry, and how this concept guides predictions in molecular design. ### What Is Electronegativity? Electronegativity is a chemical property that measures an atom’s ability to attract shared electrons in a covalent bond. First introduced by Linus Pauling, electronegativity values increase across a period in the periodic table and decrease down a group. Elements like fluorine (F) and oxygen (O) exhibit high electronegativity, while metals such as cesium (Cs) and francium (Fr) have very low values.