How does electron affinity affect reactivity?
1 Answer
In general, reactivity increases as electron affinity increases.
The electron affinity is the energy released when a gaseous atom acquires an electron. The equation is
X(g) + e⁻ → X⁻(g)
The reactivity of the nonmetals correlates well with the concept of electron affinity. The greater the tendency to gain electrons, the more reactive an element is.
