Electronegativity is a measure of an element's tendency to attract electrons in a chemical bond. It is related to electron affinity but not the direct reason for fluorine having less electron affinity compared to bromine. Fluorine is more electronegative than bromine, which means it has a stronger pull on electrons, but this does not directly explain the difference in their electron affinities.
Fluorine has less electron affinity compared to bromine primarily due to its small atomic size and the associated compact 2p subshell, which leads to greater electron-electron repulsion when an extra electron is added. Additionally, the high electronegativity of fluorine reflects its tendency to hold onto its electrons tightly, which can also affect its affinity for extra electrons. In contrast, bromine's larger size reduces the repulsion experienced when an additional electron is added, resulting in a more favorable electron affinity.
This option is related to the electron configuration of fluorine and bromine. Fluorine has 7 electrons in its outermost shell (valence electrons), and bromine has 7 electrons in its outermost shell as well. This similarity in the number of valence electrons does not directly explain the difference in their electron affinities.
Fluorine has less electron affinity compared to bromine primarily due to its small atomic size and the associated compact 2p subshell, which leads to greater electron-electron repulsion when an extra electron is added. Additionally, the high electronegativity of fluorine reflects its tendency to hold onto its electrons tightly, which can also affect its affinity for extra electrons. In contrast, bromine's larger size reduces the repulsion experienced when an additional electron is added, resulting in a more favorable electron affinity.
Fluorine has less electron affinity compared to bromine primarily due to its small atomic size and the associated compact 2p subshell, which leads to greater electron-electron repulsion when an extra electron is added. Additionally, the high electronegativity of fluorine reflects its tendency to hold onto its electrons tightly, which can also affect its affinity for extra electrons. In contrast, bromine's larger size reduces the repulsion experienced when an additional electron is added, resulting in a more favorable electron affinity.