What is an element that gains electrons easily?

Answer 1

Atoms can attract additional electrons if there is room for them in the valence energy level. When an extra electron moves into the valence shell, it can feel the attraction exerted by the effective nuclear charge. Because the effective nuclear charge is largest for the elements on the right side of the Periodic Table, those atoms provide the greatest attraction for electrons and have the greatest tendency to gain electrons.

Thus the tendency of atoms to gain electrons increases as we go from left to right across the periodic table. At least it increases until we get to the inert gases. There it drops off to zero because there is no room for additional electrons in the valence energy level. A new electron would have to start a new energy level, but there would not be an additional proton in the nucleus to provide any effective nuclear charge.

As we look at elements going down the periodic table, the effective nuclear charge remains the same, so the increase in the number of energy levels is the important factor. The tendency of atoms to gain electrons decreases as we go down the periodic table. The reason for this is simply that with the larger atoms the added electron is not as close to the nucleus and therefore the attractive force exerted by the effective nuclear charge is not as powerful as it is in the smaller atoms.

Answer 2

Generally, elements most likely to gain electrons are those which already have reasonably full outer electron shells; for example, group 7 elements will always gain electrons, and group 1 always lose electrons. Therefore, elements further to the right of the periodic table will tend to gain electrons more.

However, the transition metals can follow a slightly more complicated ordering, so reference to their proton/electron numbers would be needed.

This is IN GENERAL: there will always be exceptions!

Someone may be able to give a more detailed answer, but that covers the basics.

Answer 3

Chlorine is an example of an element that gains electrons easily. It has 7 valence electrons and only needs one more electron to achieve a full outer shell, making it highly reactive in accepting electrons to form a stable electron configuration.

Answer 4

The area on the right known as group 17 are the halogens. They have 7 electrons in their outer shell and can easily gain one more for the full 8.

Answer 5

Group 17 (the halogens) and the lower-numbered periods of Group 16, especially oxygen.

Answer 6

you find them either under the element symbol or the atomic mass. The atoms that gain electrons most easly is group 1 and group 17

Answer 7

The halogens