Multiple Choice
Which of the following best explains why the valency of carbon is 4, even though it has 6 electrons?
3
views
10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
Valence Electrons of Elements
Struggling with General Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
How many valence electrons does an iron (Fe) atom have in its ground state?
A
6
B
4
C
2
D
8
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that can participate in chemical bonding.
Determine the electron configuration of iron (Fe) in its ground state. Iron has an atomic number of 26, so it has 26 electrons.
Write the electron configuration for Fe: $1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^6$.
Identify the valence electrons by looking at the electrons in the outermost shell(s). For transition metals like Fe, valence electrons include those in the $4s$ and $3d$ orbitals.
Count the electrons in the $4s$ and $3d$ orbitals: $4s^2$ and $3d^6$, but typically only the $4s$ electrons are considered valence electrons for Fe, so Fe has 2 valence electrons.
2:32mWatch next
Master Main Group Elements Valence Electrons with a bite sized video explanation from Jules
Start learningRelated Videos
Related Practice
Valence Electrons of Elements practice set
Problem sets built by lead tutorsExpert video explanations