Q.What is the basic difference between the terms 'electron gain enthalpy' and 'electronegativity'?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Electron gain enthalpy applies to a free, isolated atom gaining an electron and is measured in energy units; electronegativity applies to an atom already bonded in a molecule and is a comparative number without a true unit.
Electron Gain Enthalpy (): This is the enthalpy change that occurs when an isolated, gaseous atom in its ground state gains an extra electron to form a gaseous anion:
It is a definite, experimentally measurable quantity, expressed in energy units (kJ/mol). It refers strictly to a single, free (unbonded) atom.
Electronegativity: This is the tendency (a relative measure, not an absolute quantity) of an atom already present in a covalently bonded molecule to attract the shared pair of bonding electrons towards itself. It has no fixed experimental unit; it is expressed on relative numerical scales (e.g., the Pauling scale), obtained by comparison between elements rather than direct measurement of a single atom.
Key difference summary: …
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