Answer
a. C and Br
b. N and Ar
c. C and Br
Work Step by Step
a. Nitrogen has a half-filled 2p subshell, making it less eager to accept an extra electron. Carbon’s electron affinity is more negative.
Argon is a noble gas with a full shell and essentially zero electron affinity. Bromine, a halogen, has a strong tendency to gain an electron.
b. Nitrogen has a higher nuclear charge and a more stable half-filled 2p orbital, requiring more energy to remove an electron.
Argon has a full outer shell, making it very stable and harder to ionize.
c. Carbon is slightly larger because it has a lower nuclear charge than nitrogen, resulting in less pull on its electrons.
Bromine is in Period 4, while Argon is in Period 3. Atomic size increases down a group.
