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Question
Arrange the following:
LiH, NaH and CsH in order of increasing ionic character.
Solution
The ionic character of a bond is dependent on the electronegativities of the atoms involved. The higher the difference between the electronegativities of atoms, the smaller is the ionic character.
Electronegativity decreases down the group from Lithium to Caesium. Hence, the ionic character of their hydrides will increase (as shown below).
LiH < NaH < CsH
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