Electron affinities of atoms

Abstract

Evidence is presented to show that there exists a relationship, for most of the non-transition elements, between the quantity (IP—EA), the difference between the ionization potential and the electron affinity of an atom or ion, and the average radius of the highest-energy electron. The equation (IP—EA)=k(1/〈r〉)ⁿ, where k and n are parameters which are constant within each vertical family of the periodic table, is closely obeyed in all cases where it could be tested. It should therefore be possible to use an equation of the same type to calculate the electron affinities of many atoms for which the values are not known, provided that there are two electron affinities known in each vertical group, so that the values of the parameters k and n can be established. In this manner, electron affinities were calculated for many of the non-transition elements for which no values were previously available.