What is a stable valence electron?

What is a stable valence electron?

Atoms are stable when they have eight valence electrons (two in the case of hydrogen). This is called having an octet. Only the noble gases have an octet of valence electrons naturally (two for helium, which is called a duet). The valence electrons are in the outermost energy shell.

Is 8 valence electrons stable?

Atoms with 8 electrons in their valence shell have completely filled last orbitals and are therefore the most stable, as their electronic configuration is similar to that of the closest noble gas.

What do unstable atoms do to become stable?

Atoms found in nature are either stable or unstable. Instability of an atom’s nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons. A radioactive atom will attempt to reach stability by ejecting nucleons (protons or neutrons), as well as other particles, or by releasing energy in other forms.

How are atoms stable?

An atom is stable if the forces among the particles that makeup the nucleus are balanced. An atom is unstable (radioactive) if these forces are unbalanced; if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy. Instability of an atom’s nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons.

Which of the following atoms has a stable electron arrangement?

Group 18 elements (helium, neon, and argon are shown in Figure 2) have a full outer, or valence, shell. A full valence shell is the most stable electron configuration. Elements in other groups have partially filled valence shells and gain or lose electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration.

Why is 2 and 8 considered stable?

The octet rule refers to the tendency of atoms to prefer to have two and eight electrons in the valence shell. When atoms have fewer than eight electrons, they tend to react and form more stable compounds.

How many valence electrons do atoms in Group 17 have?

seven valence electrons
A: An atom of a group 17 element such as chlorine has seven valence electrons. It is “eager” to gain an extra electron to fill its outer energy level and gain stability.

How do you make electrons stable?

Elements in other groups have partially filled valence shells and gain or lose electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. An atom may give, take, or share electrons with another atom to achieve a full valence shell, the most stable electron configuration.

What is the significance of 8 electrons in the valence shell?

The presence of eight electrons in the valence shell of an atom imparts stability to that particular atom. To attain stability, atoms transfer or share electrons within themselves in such a way that they can satisfy the octet rule and attain noble gas configuration.

How many electrons are in the valence shell of helium?

The American physical chemist and professor Gilbert Newton Lewis stated that, like the Helium atom, with 2 electrons in its valence shell, 8 electrons might be arranged in successive shells, mimicking the corners of a cube. This arrangement led to a very stable state of atoms, due to their resemblance to noble gases.

How many valence electrons are there in the periodic table?

Valence Electron of Elements Periodic Table Group Valence Electrons Nitrogen group – Group 15 ( V) 5 Oxygen group – Group 16 ( V I) 6 Halogens – Group 17 ( V I I) 7 Noble gases – Group 18 ( V I I I) 8

What is the valance electron configuration that is most stable?

The s and p orbitals are generally the orbitals on the furthest outside of an element. The d and f orbitals are filled after the s and p and fall down into lower electron shells. The valance electron configuration that is most stable is s2p6 this is a total of 8 valance electrons.