Electron Affinity

Topic Content:

Ionization energyEnergy is the ability to do work. Energy exists in several forms such as heat, kinetic or mechanical energy, light, potential energy, and electrical energy. Units of Energy: The SI unit... More deals with the loss of electrons, while electron affinity deals with the gain of electrons.

Electron affinity is the energy released or evolved when an electron is added to gaseous atoms to form a negative ion. The process is exothermic. When a neutral atom picks up an electron, it forms a negative ion.  Example:

X_(g) + e^–   → X_(g) ^–

Electron affinity is a measure