Which statement best describes the electron affinity of O and S?

The statement indicating that oxygen releases more energy than sulfur can be clarified by examining the atomic structure and the behavior of electrons in each element. Oxygen, with its atomic number of 8, has a higher effective nuclear charge compared to sulfur, which has an atomic number of 16. This means that when an electron is added to oxygen's valence shell, it experiences a stronger attraction to the nucleus due to its fewer electron shielding effects.

When an electron is added to oxygen, it enters a 2p orbital, which is closer to the nucleus and thus has a stronger interaction with the positive charge of the nucleus. This results in a significant energy release, as the added electron is drawn into a relatively smaller, more effective 2p orbital.

On the other hand, when an electron is added to sulfur, which adds to a 3p orbital, the added electron is further away from the nucleus and experiences greater shielding from the inner electron shells. This leads to a lesser energy release compared to oxygen. Thus, the energy released during the electron affinity process is higher for oxygen than for sulfur due to the differences in orbital sizes and the resulting attraction between the nucleus and the added electron.

This understanding helps clarify why the chosen statement accurately reflects the differences in