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Exactly enough to fill all the orbitals of their outermost (valence) shell:

  • Hydrogen and Helium only have an s orbital in their outer shell, this shell is filled with 2 electrons
  • All other elements have an s orbital and 3 p orbitals in their outer shell, each orbital can take 2 electrons so this shell is filled with 8 electrons
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Why is so much emphasis placed on valence electrons?

Valence electrons play a crucial role in determining the chemical properties of an element because they are involved in forming chemical bonds with other atoms. The number of valence electrons dictates how likely an atom is to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a full outer electron shell, which is a stable configuration. This determines how an element will interact with other elements in chemical reactions.


What rule is used to predict the number of electrons that must be lost or gained in order to achieve stability?

For doing so, firstly the electronic configuration of the element is written.Then it is seen how many electrons does the element has in its valence shell.The max. no. of electrons that can be present in the valence shell is 8. So, if the element has less than 4 electrons in the valence shell, then it looses them to form stable ion and if it has more than 4 electrons, it must gain 8-no. of valence electrons to form stable ion. If the element has 4 valence electrons, then it shares them with other atoms to form compounds.


What do you notice with the number of valence electrons?

The number of valence electrons determine the chemical properties of a particular element. For example, elements in group 1 tend to donate its valence electron away to produce its stable +1 ion. It also explains the formation of -1 ions from group 17 elements (halogens).


Have two valence electrons and get to a stable electron configuration by using two electrons?

You can achieve a stable electron configuration by using two electrons by forming a covalent bond with another atom that also has two valence electrons. In this way, each atom can share its valence electrons to achieve a full outer shell and achieve stability.


How is an elements most likely state related to its valence electrons?

An element's most likely state is related to its valence electrons because valence electrons determine an element's reactivity and ability to form chemical bonds. Elements with a full valence shell are stable and often found in a solid state, while elements with incomplete valence shells are more reactive and tend to form compounds in order to achieve a stable electron configuration.

Related Questions

What element has a stable 2 valence electrons?

The element with a stable 2 valence electrons is helium. Helium has a full outer electron shell with 2 electrons, making it very stable and unreactive.


What element is stable with 2 valence electrons?

Helium is stable with 2 valence electrons. It has a full outer electron shell, making it chemically inert and stable.


What determines the reactive of an element?

The reactivity of an element is determined by its number of valence electrons. Elements with fewer valence electrons tend to be more reactive as they seek to gain electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. Additionally, factors such as electronegativity, atomic size, and the presence of nearby elements can also influence an element's reactivity.


The tendency of an element to react chemically is closely related to what?

its Atomic Mass.


How many valence electrons will make an element stable?

The number depends on what will fill the outer shell. It can be 2 or 8.


Aluminum is a metallic element with 3 valence electrons What is its oxidation number?

The oxidation number of aluminum is typically +3, as it tends to lose its 3 valence electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration.


How many valence electrons will make an element chemically stable?

The number depends on what will fill the outer shell. It can be 2 or 8.


What does the number of valence electrons tell you about a given element?

If its positive it tells u that it has that number of valence electrons. If negative it tells you that it requires that number of electrons to make the valence electrons filled up/stable. If you know which Ion it is, you know the number of valence electrons of the neutral Atom. It corresponds to the group in the periodic table, the element is in. For example: Mg. It's in group 2, so it has 2 valence electrons. The oxidation number now tells you how many more or less electrons the atom has. For example: Mg(II) has 2 positive charges, hence two electrons less. That means it has 0 valence electrons. Take complete number of valence electrons, subtract the oxidation number and you get the number of valence electrons in the ion.


Is an element's reactivity determined by the number of protons found in an atom of an element?

No, an element's reactivity is mainly determined by the number of electrons in its outer shell, known as valence electrons. Elements with fewer valence electrons tend to be more reactive as they seek to either lose, gain, or share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. The number of protons in an atom, which determines the element's identity, does not directly influence its reactivity.


What is the relationship between an element's number of valence electrons and its reactivity?

When we say valence electron we mean the number of electron left it the outermost shell of element, valence electron can be positive of negetive. If an element need much electrons to be octet, that means that the element is not reactive than the one who will give out electrons, the the one who can give electrons much are less reactive than the one who can give a litle and the reaction will be normal as it is soppused to be, Eg lithium and berylium. Lithium is more reactive than berylium because lithuin has 1valence electron while berylium has 2....reactivity goes with the action of valence electron in an element


Why is so much emphasis placed on valence electrons?

Valence electrons play a crucial role in determining the chemical properties of an element because they are involved in forming chemical bonds with other atoms. The number of valence electrons dictates how likely an atom is to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a full outer electron shell, which is a stable configuration. This determines how an element will interact with other elements in chemical reactions.


How many valence electron are needed for an atom to be stable?

It depends on the atom. List what element the atom is from.