Electronegativity of Aluminium

The electronegativity of an element is a measure of its ability to attract electrons towards itself in a chemical bond. It is based on the difference in electronegativity values between two elements that determines the polarity of a bond.

Aluminium is a metallic element with the atomic number 13 and the symbol Al. It belongs to Group 13 (Group IIIA) in the periodic table. Compared to other elements, aluminium has a relatively low electronegativity value.

Comparison with other elements

To determine which element has similar electronegativity to aluminium, we need to compare the electronegativity values of the given options.

a) Boron:
Boron is also a Group 13 element, located just above aluminium in the periodic table. It has an electronegativity value of approximately 2.0 on the Pauling scale. This value is slightly lower than aluminium's electronegativity of approximately 1.6. Therefore, boron does not have a similar electronegativity to aluminium.

b) Carbon:
Carbon is a nonmetallic element located in Group 14 of the periodic table. It has an electronegativity value of approximately 2.5. This value is significantly higher than aluminium's electronegativity. Hence, carbon does not have a similar electronegativity to aluminium.

c) Lithium:
Lithium is an alkali metal element in Group 1 of the periodic table. It has a low electronegativity value of approximately 1.0. While lithium's electronegativity is closer to aluminium's compared to boron and carbon, it is still significantly lower. Thus, lithium does not have a similar electronegativity to aluminium.

d) Beryllium:
Beryllium is an alkaline earth metal element in Group 2 of the periodic table. It has an electronegativity value of approximately 1.6, which is similar to aluminium's electronegativity. The electronegativity values of beryllium and aluminium are both relatively low, indicating that they have similar tendencies to attract electrons in a chemical bond.

Conclusion

Among the given options, the element with a similar electronegativity to aluminium is beryllium (option D). Both aluminium and beryllium have low electronegativity values, making them less likely to attract electrons in a bond compared to elements with higher electronegativity values like carbon and boron.