Question

The electron affinity for chlorine has a negative value, indicating that the atom readily accepts another electron. Why does a chlorine atom readily accept another electron?

A) Chlorine has a low ionization energy.
B) Chlorine has a high electronegativity.
C) Chlorine has a large atomic radius.
D) Chlorine has a positive electron affinity.

Answer 1

The chlorine atom readily accepts another electron due to its high electronegativity and large electron affinity. The resulting chloride ion (Cl-) has a net negative charge.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chlorine atom readily accepts another electron due to its high electronegativity. Chlorine has a large electron affinity, meaning that more energy is released when an electron is added to a gaseous chlorine atom than to an atom of any other element. This is because chlorine has seven electrons in its outer shell and tends to gain one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration, similar to the noble gas configuration of argon. The resulting chloride ion (Cl-) has a net negative charge.