Multiple Choice
How many valence electrons do the alkaline earth metals possess?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
Valence Electrons of Elements
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
How many valence electrons does argon (Ar) have?
A
4
B
6
C
2
D
8
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the element in question, which is argon (Ar). Argon is a noble gas located in Group 18 of the periodic table.
Recall that the number of valence electrons corresponds to the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom.
For main group elements, the group number often indicates the number of valence electrons. Since argon is in Group 18, it has 8 valence electrons.
Confirm this by considering argon's electron configuration: $1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6$. The outermost shell is the third shell, containing $3s^2 3p^6$, which sums to 8 electrons.
Therefore, argon has 8 valence electrons.
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