what is the difference in electronegativity between carbon and oxygen?
Since two oxygen atoms make up a molecule of oxygen (O2) , the difference in electronegativity is |3.44−3.44|=0 . A ΔEN of 0 means the bond is nonpolar covalent, and the electrons are shared equally. The electronegativity of a carbon atom is 2.55. The ΔEN between carbon and oxygen is |2.55−3.44|=0.89 .