Multiple Choice
What is the significance of carbon having four valence electrons?
2
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
Which of the following represents the valence electron configuration for a fluorine (F) atom?
A
2s^1 2p^6
B
2s^2 2p^6
C
2s^2 2p^4
D
2s^2 2p^5
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of fluorine (F), which is 9. This means a neutral fluorine atom has 9 electrons in total.
Recall the electron configuration order: electrons fill orbitals starting from the lowest energy level. The first two electrons fill the 1s orbital: 1s^2.
Next, fill the 2s orbital with 2 electrons: 2s^2. This accounts for 4 electrons so far (2 in 1s and 2 in 2s).
The remaining electrons go into the 2p orbitals. Since fluorine has 9 electrons total, and 4 are already placed, the remaining 5 electrons fill the 2p orbitals: 2p^5.
Therefore, the valence electron configuration (electrons in the outermost shell, n=2) for fluorine is 2s^2 2p^5.
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