As one descends group 6A of the periodic table, the number of valence electrons
found in each element?
A. Increases
B. Decreases
C. Remains the same
To determine the number of valence electrons found in each element as one descends group 6A (also known as the oxygen group) of the periodic table, we need to understand the electronic configuration of elements in this group.
Group 6A elements include oxygen (O), sulfur (S), selenium (Se), tellurium (Te), and polonium (Po). The general electron configuration for group 6A elements is ns^2np^4, where n represents the energy level or period number.
As we move down the group, the number of energy levels or periods increases. For example, oxygen (O) is in the second period, sulfur (S) is in the third period, selenium (Se) is in the fourth period, and so on.
However, the number of valence electrons, which are the electrons in the outermost energy level (ns^2np^4), remains the same. In group 6A, each element has six valence electrons, regardless of the energy level or period.
Therefore, the number of valence electrons remains the same as one descends group 6A of the periodic table.
The correct answer is: C. Remains the same.