Question

Hydrogen is
A. Electropositive
B. Electronegative
C. Both electropositive as well as electronegative
D. Neither electropositive nor electronegative

Answer 1

Hint: In this question we will study about the ability or tendency of hydrogen to lose electrons and convert into a cation which has a positive charge (electropositive) or to gain or attract electrons towards it and convert into an anion which has a negative charge (electronegative).

Complete Step by Step Answer:
When an ion has a positive charge, the element is referred to as electropositive, and when an ion has a negative charge, the element is referred to as electronegative. The majority of electropositive elements are positioned on the periodic table's left side, while electronegative elements are positioned directly next to it. By observing an element's propensity to either attract or lose an electron, we can determine if it is electropositive or electronegative.

Since hydrogen only has one electron, when it interacts with alkali metals, it loses that electron and forms the H₂ molecule, which is electronegative in nature. While hydrogen combines with group 17 halogens, losing its electron to produce the ion H⁺. This demonstrates its electropositive nature.
The correct answer is C.

Additional Information: The configuration of the sodium element is 1s²2s²2p⁶3s¹. The one valence electron that it now has in its outermost shell can be removed for it to become stable. As a result, it gains a positive charge (Na⁺) after losing one electron and becomes an electropositive element. The configuration of the fluorine element is 1s²2s²2p⁵. Therefore, its outermost shell simply requires one additional electron. It therefore has a high propensity to draw an electron. It becomes an electronegative element as a result of gaining one electron, which gives it a negative charge (F^-).

Note: Only to attain the closest noble gas configuration, which is the most stable configuration, can the elements generate positive or negative ions. The periodic table is arranged with all electropositive elements to the left and all electronegative elements to the right, or we may say that as we move from left to right, the electronegativity increases and the electropositivity drops.