Does the Octet rule say that atoms like to have 8 structural electrons, or eight valence electrons. I'm pretty sure it's valence, but I just wanted to check.
The idea is that they are happy with 2 s and 6 p electrons, filling the levels
Yes, you are correct. The Octet rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons in order to achieve a stable configuration of eight valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom and are responsible for the atom's chemical behavior.
To determine the number of valence electrons for an atom, you can refer to the periodic table. The group number (or column number) of the element represents the number of valence electrons. For example, elements in Group 1 (such as hydrogen, lithium, sodium) have one valence electron, elements in Group 2 (such as beryllium, magnesium, calcium) have two valence electrons, and so on.
Additionally, for elements in Groups 13-18, you can subtract the group number from 10 to determine the number of valence electrons. For example, carbon is in Group 14, so it has 10 - 14 = 4 valence electrons. Oxygen is in Group 16, so it has 10 - 16 = 6 valence electrons.
Understanding the concept of valence electrons and the octet rule is crucial for understanding various chemical properties and reactions of elements.