Home > Chemistry > Periodic Trends in Ionization Energy

What is the difference between electron affinity and ionization energy?

Answer 1

Natalie Anton

See the explanation...

The energy released or required for an atom to absorb an electron is known as its electron affinity.

Ionization energy is the amount of energy needed to separate an atom's electrons.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer 2

Cameron Andrews

Electron affinity is the energy released when a neutral atom in the gas phase gains an electron to form a negative ion. Ionization energy, on the other hand, is the energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom in the gas phase to form a positively charged ion. In summary, electron affinity involves gaining electrons, while ionization energy involves losing electrons.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.