Question

The element with highest electron affinity value among halogens is

• A. CI
• B. F
• C. Br
• D. I

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Recall the trend of electron affinity in the periodic table.

Electron affinity generally increases across a period (left to right) and decreases down a group (top to bottom). However, there is an exception among halogens: fluorine (\( F \)) has a slightly lower electron affinity than chlorine (\( Cl \)) due to its small size, which causes significant repulsion between added electrons and existing electrons in the compact \( 2p \) orbital.

Among the halogens, chlorine (\( Cl \)) has the highest electron affinity because it can more effectively attract and hold an additional electron compared to fluorine (\( F \)). Bromine (\( Br \)) and iodine (\( I \)) have lower electron affinities due to their larger sizes.

Final Answer: The halogen with the highest electron affinity is \( \mathbf{Cl} \), which corresponds to option \( \mathbf{(1)} \).