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A lone chlorine atom has 7 electrons in its outer shell or valence shell, with 3 pairs and 1 unpaired electron. This is an unstable configuration. A stable outer shell contains 8 electrons in 4 pairs. So, two chlorine atoms will form a covalent bond, each sharing its unpaired electron. This bond forms a full pair of electrons that is shared between the two atoms, effectively giving each atom a stable shell of 8 electrons.

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Q: Why does chlorine exist as Cl2 rather than a single atom?
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