What term describes the degree of attraction an atom has for additional electrons?

The term that describes the degree of attraction an atom has for additional electrons is electronegativity. Electronegativity is a measure of how strongly an atom attracts electrons in a chemical bond. Atoms with high electronegativity can pull shared electrons closer to themselves, which can influence the characteristics of the bond they form with other atoms.

For example, fluorine is one of the most electronegative elements, meaning it has a strong tendency to attract electrons, while other elements have varying levels of electronegativity based on their position in the periodic table. Understanding electronegativity is crucial in predicting the behavior of elements during chemical reactions and the nature of the bonds they form.

The other terms, such as ionic charge, atomic number, and molecular weight, do not relate to the attraction for additional electrons. Ionic charge refers to the overall charge an atom has when it gains or loses electrons, atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, and molecular weight is the sum of the atomic masses of all atoms in a molecule. These concepts are important, but they pertain to different aspects of atomic structure and bonding than electronegativity does.