What is meant by electron affinity?

Electron affinity refers to the energy change that occurs when an electron is added to a neutral atom in the gaseous state. It quantifies the tendency of an atom to attract and hold onto an additional electron. When an atom gains an electron, it often results in the release of energy, indicating a strong attraction between the atom and the added electron.

In essence, higher electron affinity means that an atom has a greater tendency to accept electrons, reflecting how readily that atom can form negative ions. This property is particularly significant for nonmetals, which typically have high electron affinities and readily accept electrons to achieve a more stable electronic configuration, often resembling that of noble gases.

The other options do not correctly capture the definition of electron affinity: repelling electrons refers to a force that acts oppositely to attraction; the capacity to lose electrons relates more to ionization energy, which describes how easily an atom can lose electrons; and the ability to form covalent bonds pertains to sharing electrons between atoms rather than the attraction for additional electrons.