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Just get to know the periodic table of the elements; that is the key to understanding valence electrons.

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How many valence electrons does an atom have?

This all depends on the element's atomic number (number of protons). Since atoms have the same number of protons as they do electrons, the atomic number is essentially equal to the number of electrons as well. For example Aluminum atomic There are lists, but you can just tell anyway according to which group they are in. Eg, elements in the same column as Ca have 2 outer electrons (and a valency of +2), elements in the same column as Na have 1 outer electron (and a valency of +1). At the other end of the table, elements in the same column as Cl have 7 outer electrons, and a valency of -1 (8-7=1). work it out- you don't need a list.the number of electrons is equal to the atomic numberValence electrons are the electrons in the outer shell of the atom, just figure out which subshell is the outershell and then you will be able to work out the valence electrons.s shell holds 2p shell holds 6d shell holds 10f shell holds 14 See the Related Questions. Also, see the related links to download a .pdf version of a periodic table that lists the electron configuration for each element.


How do you calculate valency of an element?

The number of valence electrons is easily found. You can take a look at the periodic table, ignore the transistion metals and count. The first column has one valence electron, the second column has two and so on. The noble gases have eight--which makes sense because they tend to be chemically stable (fulfilling the octet rule).


Why would some atoms share more than one pair of electrons?

Atoms are always trying to get a full valence shell (outer shell of electrons) to make themselves stable. Hydrogen and Helium only need two electrons to do this, but the other elements need eight electrons in their valence shell. Atoms try to accomplish this in the easiest way possible, using single bonds. Sometimes, though, this doesn't work. A common example of double bonding is carbon dioxide. Carbon has four electrons in its valence shell and wants to have eight. That means it wants other atoms to share four electrons with it so it can fill its shell. The two oxygen atoms that it bonds to when it becomes carbon dioxide have six electrons in their valence shell and want eight. That means they want to share two electrons each with another atom so they can have eight electrons in their valence shell and be "full". The atoms work together, sharing electrons to fill each other's valence shells, and each of the two oxygens form a double bond with carbon. The carbon atom gets two electrons from each oxygen (four total) to add to its own four to make a total of eight electrons (a full valence shell). Each oxygen gets two electrons from the carbon atom to add to its own six, making a total of eight electrons (a full valence shell). Basically, atoms share more than one pair of electrons in double or triple bonds because it's the best way for them to fill their valence shell.


What are some common mistakes students make when drawing Lewis structures and how can they be avoided?

Common mistakes students make when drawing Lewis structures include not counting the total number of valence electrons correctly, not distributing electrons evenly among atoms, and not following the octet rule for all atoms. To avoid these mistakes, students should carefully count valence electrons, distribute them according to the octet rule, and ensure that each atom has a full outer shell of electrons. Practice and double-checking work can help prevent these errors.


What happens to the valence electrons of the atom during bonding?

=When an atom forms a chemical bond, one of two things usually happens to the valence electrons. Either the number of valence electrons increase to a total of eight (the most valence electrons that an atom can have), or all the valence electrons are given up.==When atoms end up with eight or zero valence electrons, the atom becomes more stable-or less reactive- than it was before.=

Related Questions

How many valence electrons does an atom have?

This all depends on the element's atomic number (number of protons). Since atoms have the same number of protons as they do electrons, the atomic number is essentially equal to the number of electrons as well. For example Aluminum atomic There are lists, but you can just tell anyway according to which group they are in. Eg, elements in the same column as Ca have 2 outer electrons (and a valency of +2), elements in the same column as Na have 1 outer electron (and a valency of +1). At the other end of the table, elements in the same column as Cl have 7 outer electrons, and a valency of -1 (8-7=1). work it out- you don't need a list.the number of electrons is equal to the atomic numberValence electrons are the electrons in the outer shell of the atom, just figure out which subshell is the outershell and then you will be able to work out the valence electrons.s shell holds 2p shell holds 6d shell holds 10f shell holds 14 See the Related Questions. Also, see the related links to download a .pdf version of a periodic table that lists the electron configuration for each element.


How can you determine the number of valance electrons by looking at the periodic table?

look at the group number; an atom can only have 8 valance electrons. any thing higher than 10, subtract 10 from it and you get the valance elections. This way would not work for transition metals in group 7 and up.


What are the noble gases and how they work?

The noble gases are elements with their valence band completely full of electrons: for helium this is 2 electrons, for all other noble gases this is 8 electrons. Because their valence band is already full they do not normally participate in chemical reactions.


How do you calculate valency of an element?

The number of valence electrons is easily found. You can take a look at the periodic table, ignore the transistion metals and count. The first column has one valence electron, the second column has two and so on. The noble gases have eight--which makes sense because they tend to be chemically stable (fulfilling the octet rule).


Which of these does not follow the octet rule NF3 CO2 OF2 Br2 NO?

See the Related Questions to the left for how to solve this problem.First draw the Lewis Dot structures of each molecule, then count the valence electrons of each atom in the structures. Find the one that doesn't have eight!In this case, there is actually a little trick. To follow the octet rule, each atom must have 8 valence electrons in the structure, right? Therefore, the molecule must have an even number of total electrons for that to work. So which molecule does not have an even number of total electrons?


Why would some atoms share more than one pair of electrons?

Atoms are always trying to get a full valence shell (outer shell of electrons) to make themselves stable. Hydrogen and Helium only need two electrons to do this, but the other elements need eight electrons in their valence shell. Atoms try to accomplish this in the easiest way possible, using single bonds. Sometimes, though, this doesn't work. A common example of double bonding is carbon dioxide. Carbon has four electrons in its valence shell and wants to have eight. That means it wants other atoms to share four electrons with it so it can fill its shell. The two oxygen atoms that it bonds to when it becomes carbon dioxide have six electrons in their valence shell and want eight. That means they want to share two electrons each with another atom so they can have eight electrons in their valence shell and be "full". The atoms work together, sharing electrons to fill each other's valence shells, and each of the two oxygens form a double bond with carbon. The carbon atom gets two electrons from each oxygen (four total) to add to its own four to make a total of eight electrons (a full valence shell). Each oxygen gets two electrons from the carbon atom to add to its own six, making a total of eight electrons (a full valence shell). Basically, atoms share more than one pair of electrons in double or triple bonds because it's the best way for them to fill their valence shell.


What are some common mistakes students make when drawing Lewis structures and how can they be avoided?

Common mistakes students make when drawing Lewis structures include not counting the total number of valence electrons correctly, not distributing electrons evenly among atoms, and not following the octet rule for all atoms. To avoid these mistakes, students should carefully count valence electrons, distribute them according to the octet rule, and ensure that each atom has a full outer shell of electrons. Practice and double-checking work can help prevent these errors.


What happens to the valence electrons of the atom during bonding?

=When an atom forms a chemical bond, one of two things usually happens to the valence electrons. Either the number of valence electrons increase to a total of eight (the most valence electrons that an atom can have), or all the valence electrons are given up.==When atoms end up with eight or zero valence electrons, the atom becomes more stable-or less reactive- than it was before.=


How do you work out how many electrons in an atom?

The number of electrons in an atom is equal to the number of protons in the nucleus, which is the atomic number of the element. You can find the atomic number on the periodic table. For atoms that are neutral, the number of electrons is also equal to the number of protons.


What does a atom's outermost electron shell does?

The atom's outermost electron shell determines its chemical properties and how it interacts with other atoms. It is involved in forming chemical bonds with other atoms to create molecules through sharing, gaining, or losing electrons. The number of electrons in the outermost shell also influences the atom's reactivity and stability.


What do all the elements in a row of the periodic table have in common?

They all have the same number of core electrons


How do you work out how many electrons are in an element?

You can determine the number of electrons in an element by looking at its atomic number on the periodic table. The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, and since atoms are neutral, this also corresponds to the number of electrons.