Where on the periodic table are the most electronegative elements typically found?

The most electronegative elements are found on the right side of the periodic table, primarily in the upper right corner where the halogens and noble gases are located. Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons. As you move across a period from left to right, the electronegativity of elements generally increases due to increasing nuclear charge without a corresponding increase in shielding from inner electron shells.

Fluorine, which is the most electronegative element, is situated at the top right of the periodic table among the nonmetals. Similarly, elements like oxygen and nitrogen also exhibit high electronegativity values. The trend indicates that elements become more electronegative as they approach the noble gases, which do not typically form bonds but have the highest electronegativity values attributed to their complete valence shells.

In contrast, elements on the left side of the table tend to be metals, which are generally less electronegative as they lose electrons more readily than they attract them. Meanwhile, elements in the center of the table tend to have intermediate electronegativity values, and those at the bottom of the table typically exhibit lower electronegativity due to increased electron shielding and size