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Generally electron affinity goes up as you go from left to right across the Periodic Table, and decreases as you go down a column. However, fluorine is an exception -- and the element with the highest electron affinity is chlorine (note that the most electronegative element is fluorine however).

The reason that the electron affinity is not as high as might otherwise be predicted for fluorine is that it is an extremely small atom, and so it's electron density is very high. Adding an additional electron is therefore not quite as favorable as for an element like chlorine where the electron density is slightly lower (due to electron-electron repulsion between the added electron and the other electrons in the electron cloud).

Note that there are a number of other exceptions to the general rule of electron affinity increasing towards the upper right corner -- see the Related Questions links to the left for an explanation of some of those other exceptions.

See also the Web Links to the left for more information about electron affinities and the fluorine-chlorine exception.

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Royce Homenick

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Does Iodine have less electron affinity than fluorine?

Yes. It's true. Chlorine has the highest electron affinity, then Fluorine, Bromine and Iodine


What is the second electron affinity of chlorine?

Chlorine has a negative second electron affinity because it releases energy when gaining an additional electron. This makes it less likely to accept a second electron compared to its first electron affinity, which is positive.


What elements has the largest electron affinity?

AnswerElectron affinity is the energy released when we add an electron to the outermost orbit of the atom. Halogens are the higher in electron affinity, and chlorine has the higher electron affinity than rest of the halogens. The irregularity in the electron affinity trend between Cl and F is due to the small size of the F atom. Although F definitely has a higher attraction for an electron than Cl (as evidenced by its high electro negativity value), the small size of the F atom means that adding an electron creates significant repulsion. Since electron affinity is an energy measurement, the total energy associated with electron affinity winds up being the energy that is released by the electron binding to the nucleus, minus the energy involved in overcoming the electrical repulsion in the outer shell.This makes the fluoride anion so formed unstable due to a very high charge/mass ratio. Also, fluorine has no d electrons which limits its atomic size. As a result, fluorine has an electron affinity less than that of chlorine.


Does chlorine have a high electron affinity or a low ionization energy?

Chlorine has a high electron affinity due to its tendency to gain an electron to achieve a stable electron configuration. It also has a relatively low ionization energy, meaning it takes less energy to remove an electron from a chlorine atom compared to other elements.


Why EA of fluorine is less than chlorine?

Generally electron affinity goes up as you go from left to right across the periodic table, and decreases as you go down a column. However, fluorine is an exception -- and the element with the highest electron affinity is chlorine (note that the most electronegative element is fluorine however).The reason that the electron affinity is not as high as might otherwise be predicted for fluorine is that it is an extremely small atom, and so it's electron density is very high. Adding an additional electron is therefore not quite as favorable as for an element like chlorine where the electron density is slightly lower (due to electron-electron repulsion between the added electron and the other electrons in the electron cloud).Note that there are a number of other exceptions to the general rule of electron affinity increasing towards the upper right corner -- see the Related Questions links to the left for an explanation of some of those other exceptions.See also the Web Links to the left for more information about electron affinities and the fluorine-chlorine exception.

Related Questions

Does Iodine have less electron affinity than fluorine?

Yes. It's true. Chlorine has the highest electron affinity, then Fluorine, Bromine and Iodine


What is the second electron affinity of chlorine?

Chlorine has a negative second electron affinity because it releases energy when gaining an additional electron. This makes it less likely to accept a second electron compared to its first electron affinity, which is positive.


What elements has the largest electron affinity?

AnswerElectron affinity is the energy released when we add an electron to the outermost orbit of the atom. Halogens are the higher in electron affinity, and chlorine has the higher electron affinity than rest of the halogens. The irregularity in the electron affinity trend between Cl and F is due to the small size of the F atom. Although F definitely has a higher attraction for an electron than Cl (as evidenced by its high electro negativity value), the small size of the F atom means that adding an electron creates significant repulsion. Since electron affinity is an energy measurement, the total energy associated with electron affinity winds up being the energy that is released by the electron binding to the nucleus, minus the energy involved in overcoming the electrical repulsion in the outer shell.This makes the fluoride anion so formed unstable due to a very high charge/mass ratio. Also, fluorine has no d electrons which limits its atomic size. As a result, fluorine has an electron affinity less than that of chlorine.


Does chlorine have a high electron affinity or a low ionization energy?

Chlorine has a high electron affinity due to its tendency to gain an electron to achieve a stable electron configuration. It also has a relatively low ionization energy, meaning it takes less energy to remove an electron from a chlorine atom compared to other elements.


Which has more electron affinity between cl2 and f2?

The reason that the electron affinity is not as high as might otherwise be predicted for fluorine is that it is an extremely small atom, and so it's electron density is very high. Adding an additional electron is therefore not quite as favorable as for an element like chlorine where the electron density is slightly lower (due to electron-electron repulsion between the added electron and the other electrons in the electron cloud).


Why EA of fluorine is less than chlorine?

Generally electron affinity goes up as you go from left to right across the periodic table, and decreases as you go down a column. However, fluorine is an exception -- and the element with the highest electron affinity is chlorine (note that the most electronegative element is fluorine however).The reason that the electron affinity is not as high as might otherwise be predicted for fluorine is that it is an extremely small atom, and so it's electron density is very high. Adding an additional electron is therefore not quite as favorable as for an element like chlorine where the electron density is slightly lower (due to electron-electron repulsion between the added electron and the other electrons in the electron cloud).Note that there are a number of other exceptions to the general rule of electron affinity increasing towards the upper right corner -- see the Related Questions links to the left for an explanation of some of those other exceptions.See also the Web Links to the left for more information about electron affinities and the fluorine-chlorine exception.


Why is the electron affinity for clorine is greater than the electron affinity for iodine?

Generally electron affinity goes up as you go from left to right across the periodic table, and decreases as you go down a column. However, fluorine is an exception -- and the element with the highest electron affinity is chlorine.(Note that the most electronegative element is fluorine however; 'electronegativity' is not exactly the same as 'electron affinity'.)Electronegativity is the ability of an atom in a molecule to draw bonding electrons to itselfElectron affinity is a measure of the energy change when an electron is added to a neutral atom to form a negative ion.The reason that the electron affinity is not as high as might otherwise be predicted for fluorine, is that it is an extremely small atom, and so it's electron density is very high. Adding an additional electron is therefore not quite as favorable as for an element like chlorine where the electron density is slightly lower (due to electron-electron repulsion between the added electron and the other electrons in the electron cloud).


Definition of electron affinity?

The energy change that occurs when an electron is added to a neutral atom. This is usually exothermic. Noble Gases are excluded from this. Equation: X(element)+e-(electron)---------> X-1+ energy


If atoms of chlorine and fluorine easily take on one additional electron Predict which other kinds of atoms will also have this chemical property?

Atoms in the halogen group (e.g. bromine, iodine) will also easily take on one additional electron since they have a similar outer electron configuration as chlorine and fluorine. Additionally, atoms in the group with one less electron than halogens (e.g. oxygen, sulfur) can also exhibit similar chemical properties in terms of gaining an additional electron to achieve a stable electron configuration.


Which elements most readily accepts electrons silicon or sulfur or chlorine or phosphorus?

Chlorine most readily accepts electrons among silicon, sulfur, chlorine, and phosphorus. Chlorine is a halogen and has a high electron affinity due to its high electronegativity, making it more likely to accept electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. Silicon, sulfur, and phosphorus are nonmetals with varying electron affinities but are generally less likely to accept electrons compared to chlorine.


It would take more or less energy to remove an electron from sodium than from chlorine?

It would take less energy to remove an electron from sodium than from chlorine because sodium has a lower ionization energy than chlorine. This means that sodium's outer electron is held less tightly compared to chlorine's outer electron.


What is different about fluorine and chlorine reactivity?

Fluorine is more reactive than chlorine due to its higher electronegativity and smaller atomic size. Fluorine readily gains electrons to achieve a full outer electron shell, while chlorine is less reactive by comparison.