Why do the noble gases have zero electron affinity?
1 Answer
Feb 14, 2018
Because an inert gas (i.e. noble) has a full outer shell of electrons and so 'cannot' take any more in.
Explanation:
Electron affinity is the energy released when an electron is added to an atom. Because you can't do this with a noble gas, no energy is released because no electron is added, thus we describe the affinity as being zero.
