Question

How many valence electrons do sodium and chlorine each have? What other problems can I do to practice determining things like this?

Answer 1

How about...

1. Show the electrons in the chemical bond between hydrogen atom and fluorine atom.

   `color(white)("It"" ""should"" ""be"" ""something"" ""like"" ")` `color(white)("H":"F".)`

2. Determine the number of valence electrons the calcium atom has. If it bonds with chlorine atom, how many would you expect it to bond with?

   `color(white)("It"" ""should"" ""be"" ""two"" ""valence"" "" ""electrons"" ""on"" ""calcium"" ""atom", "and"" ""one"" ""on"" ""each"" ""chlorine"" ""atom", "so", "it"" ""bonds"" ""with"" ""two"" ""chlorine"" ""atoms".)`

Highlight to reveal the answers.

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Sodium has one valence electron, and chlorine has seven. The one sodium electron can be donated to chlorine, and chlorine holds onto the two electrons that are in the `"Na"-"Cl"` ionic bond.