Nitrogen has a considerably less negative electron affinity than oxygen
CHEMISTRY · Single correct · AP · Chemistry · Atomic Structure and Properties · Atomic Structure and Properties
Problem
Nitrogen has a considerably less negative electron affinity than oxygen. Which of the following best explains this difference?
(a) Nitrogen has a lower effective nuclear charge than oxygen, so the nucleus attracts the added electron less strongly.
(b) Nitrogen atoms are larger than oxygen atoms, so the added electron is held farther from the nucleus and less energy is released.
(c) Adding an electron to nitrogen would disrupt its half-filled 2p subshell, decreasing stability.
(d) Because oxygen has more core electrons than nitrogen, the extra shielding in oxygen lowers the attraction for the incoming electron, so nitrogen should have the more negative electron affinity.