Is it really positive charge or just an Electron Affinity "Pseudo" Positive Charge?
This use of the term "Electron Affinity" of Neutral Atoms/Molecules
About 1/2 eV for neutral O2 ranging up to 2.5 eV or so for many molecules, is
Not to be confused with ionization energy "Electron Affinity".
"Electron Affinity is defined as the energy difference between the lowest (ground)
state of the neutral and the lowest state of the corresponding negative ion".
"The electron affinity, EA, of a molecule is, for negative ions or anions, the quantity that is analogous to the ionization energy for positive ions. That is, the electron affinity is equal to the energy difference between the enthalpy of formation of a neutral species and the enthalpy of formation of the negative ion of the same structure. The electron affinity is defined as the negative of the 0 K enthalpy change for the electron attachment reaction":
M + e -----> M - ? Hrxn = - EAa
" As with the ionization energy, it is possible to have either vertical or adiabatic electron affinities, with the numeric value of the vertical quantity being greater than or equal to the adiabatic value. A difference from the ionization energy is that for stable ("bound") negative ions, the ion is lower in energy than the corresponding neutral. If the negative ion is higher in energy than the neutral, the neutral is said to have a negative electron affinity, and the ion will undergo spontaneous loss of the electron.
IOW. the "excess electrons" existing on the earth are responsible forStatic Electricity
and most of the electrons attached to neutral atoms/molecules.:
If it attracts electrons it must be positive, even though it's neutral? :-)
Frederick
