How many valence electrons do barium and phosphorus

Subject : Chemistry

Question: How many valence electrons do barium and phosphorus have respectively

Expert Verified Solution:

How many valence electrons do barium and phosphorus have respectively?

Barium and phosphorus have different numbers of valence electrons, reflecting their positions in the periodic table and their chemical properties.

Barium, with the atomic number 56, is an alkaline earth metal located in Group 2 of the periodic table. It has 2 valence electrons. These electrons are found in the outermost shell, which is the 6th shell for barium. The presence of these two valence electrons makes barium highly reactive, especially with nonmetals.

Phosphorus, on the other hand, has the atomic number 15 and is found in Group 15 of the periodic table. It has 5 valence electrons. These electrons are located in the 3rd shell, which is the outermost shell for phosphorus. The presence of five valence electrons gives phosphorus a tendency to gain or share three more electrons to achieve a stable octet configuration.

Understanding how many valence electrons do barium and phosphorus have respectively helps in predicting their chemical behavior and bonding properties. Barium’s 2 valence electrons typically lead it to form +2 ions, while phosphorus’s 5 valence electrons lead it to form -3 ions or to participate in covalent bonding.