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

pick one pls

The characteristic of an element that determines how its atoms can bond with other atoms is its number of valence electrons.

The characteristic of an element that determines how its atoms can bond with other atoms is its number of valence electrons.

The characteristic of an element that determines how its atoms can bond with other atoms is the number of valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom. They are responsible for the atom's interactions with other atoms and can participate in chemical bonds. The number of valence electrons determines the chemical behavior of an element, including the types of bonds it can form, such as ionic, covalent, or metallic bonds.