Multiple Choice
What happens to the valence electrons in a covalent bond?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
Valence Electrons of Elements
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Sulfur has an atomic number of 16. How many valence electrons does sulfur have in its outermost shell?
A
2
B
4
C
6
D
8
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of sulfur, which is 16. This means sulfur has 16 electrons in total.
Write the electron configuration of sulfur to understand how these electrons are distributed in shells and subshells. The configuration follows the order of filling orbitals: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, etc.
Determine the electron configuration for sulfur: $1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^4$.
Recognize that valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell. For sulfur, the outermost shell is the third shell, which includes the 3s and 3p orbitals.
Count the electrons in the 3s and 3p orbitals: $3s^2$ means 2 electrons, and $3p^4$ means 4 electrons. Adding these gives the total valence electrons: $2 + 4 = 6$.
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