What do you mean by electron affinity?

Definition of electron affinity 1 : the degree to which an atom or molecule attracts additional electrons. 2 : the minimum energy required to remove an electron from a negative ion to produce a neutral atom or molecule.

How does electron configuration affect electron affinity?

Electron affinity decreases or increases across a period depending on electronic configuration. This occurs because of the same subshell rule that governs ionization energies. Since a half-filled “p” subshell is more stable, carbon has a greater affinity for an electron than nitrogen.

What are the factors that affect electronegativity?

An atom’s electronegativity is affected by both its atomic number and the size of the atom. The higher its electronegativity, the more an element attracts electrons.

Which has highest electron affinity?

Chlorine
Which Element Has the Highest Electron Affinity? Chlorine has the highest electron affinity among the elements. Its high affinity can be attributed to its large atomic radius, or size. Because chlorine’s outermost orbital is 3p, its electrons have a large amount of space to share with an incoming electron.

What element has the highest electron affinity?

Chlorine has the highest electron affinity among the elements. Its high affinity can be attributed to its large atomic radius, or size. Because chlorine’s outermost orbital is 3p, its electrons have a large amount of space to share with an incoming electron.

What is the electron affinity trend?

What is the trend for electron affinity? Electron affinity increases upward across periods of a periodic table for the groups and from left to right, because the electrons added to the energy levels get closer to the nucleus, making the nucleus and its electrons more attractive.

How does electron shielding effect electronegativity?

The process of electron shielding decreases electronegativity as the orbital or electron ‘shell’ of the atom fills. The reason this inverse relationship exists is that the electrons provide a kind of buffer between the positively charged core of an atom and the negavely charged electrons of a second atom.

What is the difference between electron affinity and electronegativity?

Electronegativity is defined as a chemical property which decides the propensity of an atom to attract an electron. In the year 1932, Linus Pauling proposed the concept of electronegativity. Electron affinity is defined as the amount of energy liberated when a molecule or neutral atom acquires an electron from outside.

What has the lowest electron affinity?

mercury
What is the lowest electron affinity? Metals are more likely to lose electrons than they are to gain them. Of the metals, mercury has the lowest electron affinity.

Why does electron affinity increase across a period?

Electron affinity increases upward for the groups and from left to right across periods of a periodic table because the electrons added to energy levels become closer to the nucleus, thus a stronger attraction between the nucleus and its electrons.

What is the difference between electronegativity and electron affinity?

The main difference between electronegativity and electron affinity is that electronegativity is the ability of an atom to attract electrons from the outside whereas electron affinity is the amount of energy released when an atom gains an electron.

What are the exceptions to electron affinity?

Electron affinity becomes less negative down a group. As the principal quantum number increases, the size of the orbital increases and the affinity for the electron is less. The change is small and there are many exceptions. Electron affinity decreases or increases across a period depending on electronic configuration.

Why does electron affinity increase?

Electron affinity increases upward for the groups and from left to right across periods of a periodic table because the electrons added to energy levels become closer to the nucleus, thus a stronger attraction between the nucleus and its electrons.

What does electron affinity measure?

Electron affinity is a measure of how much energy is released when an electron is gained by a certain atom , conversely, it is also the amount of energy required in order to detach the electron from the other atom. Sometimes the electron doesn’t have to be detached from one molecule in order to form a bond with another.