How do the oxidizing and reducing capacity of an element depend on the ionization potential and electron affinity?
How do the oxidizing and reducing capacity of an element depend on the ionization potential and electron affinity?
- Ionization potential: The minimum amount of energy required to remove an electron from the outermost shell of a neutral, gaseous atom is called Ionization potential.
2. Electron affinity: The amount of energy released when an electron is added to the outermost shell of an atom is called electron affinity.
3. Oxidizing property: An element gains electrons and undergoes reduction and helps in the oxidation of another element. Hence, it acts as an oxidizing agent and hence possesses oxidizing properties.
4. Reducing property: An element loses electrons and undergoes oxidation and helps in the reduction of another element. Hence, it acts as a reducing agent and hence possesses reducing property.
In the following reaction:
Fluorine is an oxidizing agent. It is oxidizing hydrogen from 0 to +1.
Hydrogen is a reducing agent. It is reducing fluorine from 0 to -1
5. As the Ionization potential increases, the amount of energy required to remove an electron from the valence shell increases, and the tendency to lose electrons by an atom decreases. Hence, reducing property decreases wan ith increase in Ionization potential.
6. As the Electron affinity increases, the amount of energy released when an electron is added to an atom increases which makes an atom stable, and the tendency to gain electrons increases. Hence, oxidizing property increases with an increase in electron affinity.
- Ionization potential: The minimum amount of energy required to remove an electron from the outermost shell of a neutral, gaseous atom is called Ionization potential.
2. Electron affinity: The amount of energy released when an electron is added to the outermost shell of an atom is called electron affinity.
3. Oxidizing property: An element gains electrons and undergoes reduction and helps in the oxidation of another element. Hence, it acts as an oxidizing agent and hence possesses oxidizing properties.
4. Reducing property: An element loses electrons and undergoes oxidation and helps in the reduction of another element. Hence, it acts as a reducing agent and hence possesses reducing property.
In the following reaction:
Fluorine is an oxidizing agent. It is oxidizing hydrogen from 0 to +1.
Hydrogen is a reducing agent. It is reducing fluorine from 0 to -1
5. As the Ionization potential increases, the amount of energy required to remove an electron from the valence shell increases, and the tendency to lose electrons by an atom decreases. Hence, reducing property decreases wan ith increase in Ionization potential.
6. As the Electron affinity increases, the amount of energy released when an electron is added to an atom increases which makes an atom stable, and the tendency to gain electrons increases. Hence, oxidizing property increases with an increase in electron affinity.
