and electronegativity attributed to the average valence electron energy, 𝜒 #$% . This definition is inspired by, but not equal to, that of Allen, and has allowed for the compilation of an extensive ground state (T → 0K) scale of the electronegativity of atoms. This scale has been productively used in the literature, for example to rationalize trends in intermetallic compounds. . It has also been extended to high pressure conditions, allowing for the successful rationalization of unexpected phenomena, such as redox inversion in nitric sulfur hydrides. How to formally separate core from valence in eq. ( ) is not always obvious. However, such choices do not influence the validity of our following arguments and results. We refer to previous work for a detailed discussion on what constitutes a valence level, and for a comparison with the Allen electronegativity scale. We note that both Allen's and our preferred scale of electronegativity are related to the average local ionization energy that have been extensively studied by Politzer and coworkers. The average electron energy is also related to the theory of moments of the electronic energy distribution, useful for rationalizing structure in extended systems. Our choice for defining electronegativity allows us to connect this central chemical concept to the total energy of a system,