Editing Electronegativity (section)

==Electropositivity==
'''Electropositivity''' is a measure of an element's ability to donate [[electrons]], and therefore form [[cations|positive]] [[ions]]; thus, it is antipode to electronegativity.

Mainly, this is an attribute of [[metals]], meaning that, in general, the greater the metallic character of an [[chemical element|element]] the greater the electropositivity. Therefore, the [[alkali metals]] are the most electropositive of all. This is because they have a single electron in their outer shell and, as this is relatively far from the nucleus of the atom, it is easily lost; in other words, these metals have low [[ionization energy|ionization energies]].<ref>"[https://archive.today/20091101004334/http://au.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_781538810/Electropositivity.html Electropositivity]," [[Microsoft Encarta]] Online Encyclopedia 2009. (Archived 2009-10-31).</ref>

While electronegativity increases along [[Period (periodic table)|periods]] in the [[periodic table]], and decreases down [[Periodic table group|groups]], electropositivity ''decreases'' along periods (from left to right) and ''increases'' down groups. This means that elements in the upper right of the periodic table of elements (oxygen, sulfur, chlorine, etc.) will have the greatest electronegativity, and those in the lower-left (rubidium, caesium, and francium) the greatest electropositivity.