Multiple Choice
How many valence electrons does hydrogen have?
3
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
Valence Electrons of Elements
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How many valence electrons does a gold (Au) atom have?
A
2
B
3
C
6
D
1
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of gold (Au), which is 79. This tells us the total number of electrons in a neutral gold atom.
Determine the electron configuration of gold (Au). Gold is a transition metal, so its electron configuration includes filling the 5d and 6s orbitals. The full configuration is: $1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 3d^{10} 4s^2 4p^6 4d^{10} 5s^2 5p^6 5d^{10} 6s^1$.
Understand that valence electrons for transition metals are typically the electrons in the outermost s and d orbitals. For gold, these are the electrons in the 6s and 5d orbitals.
Count the valence electrons by adding the electrons in the 6s and 5d orbitals. Since the 5d orbital is fully filled with 10 electrons and the 6s orbital has 1 electron, the valence electrons are considered to be primarily the 6s electron for chemical bonding purposes.
Conclude that gold has 1 valence electron because the 6s electron is the most chemically active and involved in bonding, while the 5d electrons are more core-like in behavior.
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