Which element has four valence electrons?
1. silicon (Si)
2. potassium (K)
3. sulfur (S)
4. beryllium (Be)
1. silicon (Si)
The element that has four valence electrons is silicon (Si).
To determine the element that has four valence electrons, we need to look at the electron configuration of each element.
1. Silicon (Si): The atomic number of silicon is 14. Its electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p². Silicon has four electrons in its outermost energy level (valence shell), so it has four valence electrons.
2. Potassium (K): The atomic number of potassium is 19. Its electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s¹. Potassium has one electron in its outermost energy level (valence shell), so it has one valence electron.
3. Sulfur (S): The atomic number of sulfur is 16. Its electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴. Sulfur has six electrons in its outermost energy level (valence shell), so it has six valence electrons.
4. Beryllium (Be): The atomic number of beryllium is 4. Its electron configuration is 1s² 2s². Beryllium has two electrons in its outermost energy level (valence shell), so it has two valence electrons.
Based on these configurations, the element that has four valence electrons is silicon (Si).