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The nunmber of electrons present (or missing) from an atom (ion) affects other atoms' ability to merge with other atoms that might have complementary arrangemensts of electrons in their atoms. We call these valence electrons, and they basically control the relationship of atoms, by allowing the"sharing" of the outtermost shell's electrons between atoms.

Take the simple water molecule, for instance. It has one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. The two hydrogen atoms are balanced becauase of the one electron and one proton, but the K shell can hold 2 electrons so the hydrogen atom has a valence of -1.

Looking at the oxygen atom, now, we see it is also balances, because there are eight protons and eighth electrons. It has a valance of 2 because the L shell is not full with with only six of its eight electrons. (2 in the K shell, 6 in the L shell.)

This sets up the natual combination of two hydrogen atoms with one oxygen atom, The Hydrogen shares its valence electron with one of the two from the oxygen, while the other hydrogrem atom shares its electron with the other valence electron on the other oxygen. This is water.

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