Question

How would you arrange these elements in order of decreasing electronegativity: N, Al, Na, P?

Answer 1

`" Na, Al, P, N"`
`stackrelrarr"Increasing electronegativity"`

Explanation:

As we FACE the Periodic Table....electronegativity INCREASES across a Period, a row of the Periodic Table....and DECREASES down a Group, a column of the Periodic Table....

Here you gots a 2nd Period non-metal, which should be the most electronegative element. then a 3rd Period non-metal, which should be the next most electronegative, and then a couple of metals, one that is STRONGLY ionic in character... You grab?

As always, electronegativity is a function of unshielded nuclear charge, and is formally the ability of an atom involved in a chemical bond to polarize electron density towards itself.