Because this exothermic process releases energy, first electron affinities are negative values. The first involves the addition of an electron to a neutral atom. There are two types of electron affinity, first and second. Essentially, electron affinity pertains to the energy changes that accompany the gain of one electron, and ionization energy those that accompany losing one electron. Ionization energies always involve the formation of positive ions, electron affinity energies describe the generation of negative ions. It is the opposite of ionization energy, the energy required to ionize a gaseous atom and consequently remove an electron. We tend to liken electron affinity to an atom’s “likelihood,” or “chance,” of gaining an electron. This process differs from electronegativity, which we define as the ability of an atom to attract an electron toward itself. ![]() Topics Covered in Other ArticlesĬhemists define electron affinity as the change in energy, measured in units of kJ/mole, experienced when an electron is added to a gaseous atom. In this tutorial about electron affinity, we will cover its definition, relevant periodic table trends, and factors that influence it.
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