Electronegativity Vs. Electron Affinity

[IdahoDoc]

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Can someone tell me the difference please. They seam to the same thing to me.

 

[Tina324]

hmm I think we need another person's opinion, BUT from what i understand...

electronegativity refers to the "pull" that the electronegative atom has on the other atom that it is bond to. So, for example the nucleus of O has a strong "pull" on the electrons of it's 2 H's in H20.

..whereas, electron affinity of an atom refers to the ease by which that atom can ACCEPT another electron.

So.. i think the diff lies in that fact that electronegativity is about keeping what u got, while elecron affinity is about acquiring what you don't have.

..hope that makes sense 🙂

 

[Mstoothlady2012]

Can someone tell me the difference please. They seam to the same thing to me.

it is the same thing.

 

[MattEvers]

They are not exactly the same thing.

Per wiki:

Electronegativity, symbol χ, is a chemical property that describes the ability of an atom (or, more rarely, a functional group) to attract electrons (or electron density) towards itself in a covalent bond.

The electron affinity, Eea, of an atom or molecule is the energy required to detach an electron from a singly charged negative ion, i.e., the energy change for the process
X- → X + e−

 

[NuckingFutz]

Trendwise, they're the same I believe

 

[alanan84]

Trendwise, they're the same I believe

Yes trendwise they are the same.

Technically they are different like above posts have said. I think tina's answer is the most understandable.

 

[IWantH2O]

They are not exactly the same thing.

Per wiki:

The electron affinity, Eea, of an atom or molecule is the energy required to detach an electron from a singly charged negative ion, i.e., the energy change for the process
X- → X + e−

k im confused now....i thought that electron affinity is the energy required to accept an electron, not detach one? ionization energy is the energy required to remove an electron.

 

[AndyK]

IWantH2O: Semantics 🙂 The higher the energy required to remove an electron from an ion, the higher the electron affinity. Conversely, the lower the energy required for an atom to become an ion (addition of an electron), the higher the electron affinity.