What is the difference between electron affinity and ionization energy?

Question

Avery Adams · Accepted Answer

See explanation.

Ionization energy is required to remove an electron from an atom, whereas electron affinity is the energy required to add one electron to the atom. Ionization energy leads to the formation of cations, whereas electron affinity leads to the formation of anions.

Mateo Aguilar · Answer

undefined Electron affinity refers to the energy released when an electron is added to a neutral atom to form a negative ion. Ionization energy, on the other hand, is the energy required to remove an electron from a neutral atom to form a positive ion. In summary, electron affinity involves gaining electrons, while ionization energy involves losing electrons.

HIX Tutor · Answer

undefined Electron affinity and ionization energy both have to do with electrons in atoms. Electron affinity is the amount of energy released when an atom gains an electron, while ionization energy is the amount of energy needed to remove an electron from an atom. Here are the steps to understand the difference:

1. Electron affinity: When an atom gains an extra electron, it releases energy. Imagine you have a piggy bank and someone puts a coin in it. You might feel happy and excited because you have more money now. Similarly, when an atom gains an electron, it gets more stable and releases energy.

2. Ionization energy: On the other hand, ionization energy is the energy needed to take away an electron from an atom. Think of it as someone taking a coin from your piggy bank. You might feel sad or upset because you have less money now. Similarly, when an atom loses an electron, it becomes less stable and needs energy to remove the electron.

To summarize, electron affinity is the energy released when an atom gains an electron, while ionization energy is the energy needed to remove an electron from an atom.