What characteristic of an element determines how its atoms can bond with other atoms?
its number of valence electrons
how many low-energy-level electrons it has
how many protons and neutrons it has
its total number of electrons
The characteristic of an element that determines how its atoms can bond with other atoms is its number of valence electrons. Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom, and they are involved in the formation of chemical bonds. The number of valence electrons determines the overall reactivity and bonding behavior of an element.
The characteristic of an element that determines how its atoms can bond with other atoms is its number of valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons present in the outermost energy level or electron shell of an atom. These electrons are involved in the formation of chemical bonds between atoms.
To find the number of valence electrons in an element, you need to examine its position on the periodic table. The periodic table is organized in such a way that elements in the same column, also known as a group or family, have similar chemical properties. The group number corresponds to the number of valence electrons an element has.
For example, elements in Group 1, such as hydrogen (H), lithium (Li), and sodium (Na), have 1 valence electron, while elements in Group 17, such as fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), and bromine (Br), have 7 valence electrons.
Understanding the number of valence electrons helps in predicting the possible types of chemical bonds an element can form with other elements. For instance, elements with fewer valence electrons tend to lose or share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration like the nearest noble gas, while elements with more valence electrons tend to gain or share electrons.