Question

Which element in Group 16 has the greatest tendency to gain electrons?

A) Oxygen (O)
B) Sulfur (S)
C) Selenium (Se)
D) Tellurium (Te)

Answer 1

The element in Group 16 with the greatest tendency to gain electrons is Selenium (Se)

Step-by-step explanation:

We know that electron affinities become less negative going down a column (except for the anomalously low electron affinities of the elements of the second row), so we can predict that the electron affinity of Se is more negative than that of Te. We also know that electron affinities become more negative from left to right across a row, and that the group 15 elements tend to have values that are less negative than expected. Because Sb is located to the left of Te and belongs to group 15, we predict that the electron affinity of Te is more negative than that of Sb. The overall order is Se < Te < Sb, so Se has the most negative electron affinity among the three elements.