Answer
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Step 1: Understand the concept of electronegativity
Electronegativity is a property of an atom that describes its ability to attract a shared pair of electrons (or electron density) towards itself in a covalent bond. The higher the electronegativity, the more an atom attracts the shared electrons.
Step 2: Recall the periodic trend of electronegativity
As you move across a period (left to right) in the periodic table, electronegativity generally increases due to the increasing nuclear charge and smaller atomic radius. However, as you move down a family (from top to bottom), electronegativity decreases.
Final Answer
Electronegativity decreases down a family because the increasing atomic size and core electron shielding effect weaken the attraction of the nucleus for the outermost electrons, reducing the atom's ability to attract shared electrons in a covalent bond.
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