Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

What occurs to an atom when it has high electron affinity?

1. It easily loses electrons

2. It can effectively accept electrons

3. It forms stable isotopes

4. It undergoes fission

The correct answer is: It can effectively accept electrons

When an atom has high electron affinity, it means that the atom has a strong tendency to attract and accept additional electrons. This property is indicative of an atom's ability to stabilize itself by gaining an electron, which often leads to the formation of negatively charged ions, known as anions. Atoms with high electron affinity typically have a nearly filled outer electron shell, and they become more stable when they acquire an extra electron to achieve a full shell configuration. In context, atoms with low electron affinity would more likely lose electrons rather than gain them, possibly forming cations instead of anions. The notion of forming stable isotopes pertains more to variations of an element based on neutron number rather than its behavior in gaining or losing electrons. Lastly, fission involves splitting a heavy atomic nucleus into smaller parts, which is a process unrelated to the concept of electron affinity; therefore, it does not apply to the scenario described.