An isolated oxygen atom has exactly eight electrons. If it had any other number, it would be an oxygen ion. But most oxygen atoms are not isolated -- they are chemically bonded to other atoms in molecules like water H2O or oxygen gas O2, or in networks like silica SiO2 An oxygen atom can be thought of as having three energy levels for its electrons. There is a 1s energy level for electrons bound very tightly and very close to the nucleus. It can accommodate 2 electrons. Similarly there is a 2s energy level that can accommodate 2 more of the oxygen electrons, in a less tightly bound situation, and a 2p energy level that can accommodate 6 electrons, but only actually has 4 electrons to accommodate in an isolated oxygen atom. An isolated oxygen atom is very greedy to fill those extra two electron slots. It cannot actually steal electrons in other atoms in most circumstances, because that would make a negative ion, where the extra electrons would not be at all tightly bound. What it can do is to steal other atoms to form new chemical bonds and make new molecules or networks. In these new arrangements the empty slots in the 2p energy level are filled by electrons shared in the new chemical bond To take a particular example, oxygen forms very strong bonds with hydrogen atoms, so much so that it can steal a hydrogen atom from a molecule of the generally unreactive gas methane, breaking a slightly weaker chemical bond as it does so: O + CH4 --> OH + CH3 OH + CH4 --> H2O + CH3 In this way, the isolated oxygen atom with 4 electrons in its 6 available 2p slots becomes a water molecule with all 6 of the 2p slots filled. These reactions where oxygen is able to steal hydrogen atoms that were originally bonded to carbon are an important part of the complicated series of reactions involved in burning fuel. That is the long answer. The short answer is that it is likely to undergo chemical reactions so that it can fill any empty slots with shared electrons.
The octet rule says that the most desirable state for an atom is to have its outer shell filled with 8 electrons. This is the governing factor behind the formation of most ionic compounds. It will bind with other atoms, taking electrons, and if an octet is possible without disturbing another octet, the electrons will move, turning the atom of oxygen into the oxide anion (O2-).
This atom gain the necessary number of electrons.
it would explode
32 electrons
32
32 electrons is the maximum number that can simultaneously maintain the fourth energy level in an atom's electron shell. The equation used to find this number is: 2 x n2 in which "n" is the energy level being referred too. To find the maximum electron count for the fourth energy level we insert the number four in for "n" then solve: 2 x (4)2 = 32 electrons
high-energy electrons
A carbon atom has four electrons in it's outermost energy level. Most atoms become stable when their outermost energy level contains eight electrons. A carbon atom therefore readily forms four covalent bonds with the atoms of other elements.
The electrons on the outermost level are called Valence electrons. the usual maximum is 8.
The answer to this depends on the energy level under consideration.In general, the maximum number of electrons occupied in one energy level is given by 2n2where n is the number of energy level. Thus 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th energy levels can occupy a maximum of 2, 8, 18 and 32 electrons
The answer to this depends on the energy level under consideration.In general, the maximum number of electrons occupied in one energy level is given by 2n2 where n is the number of energy level. Thus 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th energy levels can occupy a maximum of 2, 8, 18 and 32 electrons
valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level
Outermost have more energy than innermost. As electrons move inward, they release energy.
Electrons in the outermost energy shell of an atom are called valence electrons.
Halogens have six valence electrons in the outermost energy level.
Carbon has four electrons in the outermost energy level, which is energy level two. It needs eight electrons to have this energy level filled.
Yes, the outermost energy level of the atoms of the noble gases are filled, meaning that they have the maximum number of electrons. This is why noble gases are stable and unreactive. The atoms of reactive elements share or transfer electrons in order to fill their outermost energy levels, making them stable like the noble gases.
Yes. Valence electrons are the electrons found in the outermost shell / energy level
they are referred as valence electrons. These are the electrons in outermost shell.
The first energy level can contain 2 electrons. The second energy level can contain 8 electrons. The third energy level can contain 18 electrons.