Fluorine, the most electronegative element, was assigned avalue of 4.0 on Pauling’s scale. Lithium, at the left end of the same period,has a value of 1.0. Cesium, in the same column but below lithium,has a vulue of 0.7. In general, electronegativity increases from left to right and decreases from top to bottom in the periodic table. Metals are the least electronegative elements (they are electropositive), and nonmetals are the most electronegative.