Electron Gain Enthalpy

Electron Gain Enthalpy

Since a noble gas atom already has a completely filled, exceptionally stable electronic configuration, it has essentially no inclination to accept an additional electron — doing so would force that extra electron into a new, higher-energy shell rather than complete an existing one. As a result, the noble gases show large positive electron gain enthalpies (Table 7.12 lists values such as +48 kJ mol⁻¹ for He and +116 kJ mol⁻¹ for Ne), meaning energy must be supplied, rather than released, to force an electron …