According to the octet rule, if an atom has fewer than 8 electrons in the outer most energy level, what is likely to happen? (1 point)
It will gain or lose neutrons until it has an equivalent number of neutrons to protons.
It will release electrons and protons until it reaches a stable configuration.
Nothing will happen, unless it is radioactive.
It will react with other nearby atoms to give, receive or share electrons until it has a full outer shell.
( please help )
The last choice is the correct one.
According to the octet rule, if an atom has fewer than 8 electrons in its outermost energy level (valence shell), it is likely to react with other nearby atoms to achieve a full outer shell. This is because atoms tend to be more stable when they have a full complement of electrons in their valence shell.
To understand why atoms react in this way, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons in an atom's outermost energy level that are involved in chemical bonding. The octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons with other atoms in order to achieve the electron configuration of the noble gases, which have full valence shells.
To determine how many valence electrons an atom has, you can look at its position on the periodic table. The group number (1-18) tells you the number of valence electrons for main group elements. For example, elements in Group 1 (such as hydrogen and lithium) have 1 valence electron, while elements in Group 2 (such as beryllium and magnesium) have 2 valence electrons. There are some exceptions to this rule for transition metals and other elements, but the concept generally applies to main group elements.
Once you know the number of valence electrons for an atom, you can predict how it is likely to react. If an atom has fewer than 8 valence electrons, it will want to gain, lose, or share electrons with other atoms to reach a more stable electron configuration.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: It will react with other nearby atoms to give, receive, or share electrons until it has a full outer shell.
According to the octet rule, if an atom has fewer than 8 electrons in the outermost energy level, it is likely to react with other nearby atoms to give, receive, or share electrons until it has a full outer shell.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
It will react with other nearby atoms to give, receive, or share electrons until it has a full outer shell.