Thread: does the electron affinity increase or decrease as you move down a family

(the trend)? Does the electron affinity increase or decrease as you move down a family ( the trend)

Decrease

Decrease

Decrease

It generally decreases down the group ( becomes more +ve) due to an increase in the size of the atoms of the elements. On moving across a group however, it becomes more -ve , since the nucleus charge increases, pulling more electrons towards it.
Noble gases have highly +ve electron gain enthalpies since they are already very stable.