There is a total of 8 electrons that are needed to fill outer shell of most atoms. An atom is the smallest unit of matter.
8
there are four electrons on the outer shell of carbon..
the electrons on their outer shell, all atoms want to gain a full valence shell.
Only two electrons.
These are the valence electrons.
It depends, most atoms need 8 total valence electrons in their outer shell (some need 2). So subtract the number they have (determined by the group that the element is in) from 8 and that is how many they need to fill their outer shell!
Electrons are found in an atom's outer shell. The outer shell, also known as the valence shell, is where the electrons involved in chemical reactions and bonding are located. The number of electrons in the outer shell determines the atom's chemical properties.
Valence Electrons
The most stable electron configuration for any atom is to have a complete outer shell. For the smallest atoms, that can be no electrons at all (for H+) since no shell is equivalent to a complete shell, or just two electrons in the outer shell, such as for a helium atom, but for most elements that means 8 electrons in the outer shell. We then have atoms which have five or more electrons in their outer shell and therefore need three or less to complete their shell, and they tend to gain electrons because it is easier to gain three than it is to lose five. Similarly, there are atoms with three or fewer electrons in their outer shell, and they tend to lose electrons because it is easier to lose three than it is to gain five. In the middle we have an atom such as carbon, with four electrons it its outer shell; it can gain or lose electrons with equal ease.
Valence electrons
a
The number of electrons on the outer shell is what matters when dealing with bonding. These outer shell electrons, also known as valence electrons, are involved in the formation of chemical bonds between atoms.