As one descends group 6A of the periodic table, the number of valence electrons
found in each element?
A. Increases
B. Decreases
C. Remains the same
Valence electrons are those in the outer energy level. They are the same. You need to figure out what the electronic configuration of those elements is, and prove it to yourself.
To determine the change in the number of valence electrons as one descends group 6A of the periodic table, you first need to understand what group 6A represents. Group 6A, also known as group 16 or the oxygen group, contains elements such as oxygen (O), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and polonium (Po).
Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom that can participate in chemical bonding. In the case of group 6A, the valence electrons are the electrons in the sixth or outermost energy level.
As you descend down a group in the periodic table, additional energy levels or shells are added to the atoms. Since electrons fill up the energy levels from the innermost to the outermost, the atoms in lower periods have more energy levels than the atoms in higher periods.
Therefore, as you descend group 6A, the number of valence electrons remains the same for all the elements in the group. This means that the correct option is:
C. Remains the same