Which statement correctly compares the valence electrons for atoms of francium (Fr) and barium (Ba)?
(1 point)
Responses
Barium has fewer valence electrons, but they are in a higher energy level.
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Barium has more valence electrons, and they are in a higher energy level.
Francium has fewer valence electrons, but they are in a higher energy level.
Francium has more valence electrons, and they are in a higher energy level.
Francium (Fr) and barium (Ba) both belong to the same group in the periodic table, which is Group 2 (the alkaline earth metals). Atoms within the same group have the same number of valence electrons. Since both francium and barium are in Group 2, they both have two valence electrons.
Therefore, any statement that says one has more valence electrons than the other would be incorrect. Additionally, valence electrons for francium would be in a higher energy level than those for barium because francium is further down the periodic table (it has more electron shells).
The correct statement is:
Francium has the same number of valence electrons as barium, but they are in a higher energy level.
This statement accurately reflects that both have two valence electrons, with francium's being at a higher principal quantum number (n) due to its larger atomic number. However, since none of the provided statements exactly match the correct description, there may have been an error in the question or the response choices. If you must choose from the given responses, the closest (though not fully accurate) is:
Francium has fewer valence electrons, but they are in a higher energy level.
This statement is still incorrect regarding the count of valence electrons (since both have the same amount), but it is correct that francium's valence electrons are at a higher energy level than barium's.