Questions: How many valence electrons does an atom of boron, Z=5, have?
Transcript text: d. How many valence electrons does an atom of boron, $Z=5$, have?
one
two
three
Solution
Solution Steps
Step 1: Determine the Atomic Number and Electron Configuration
Boron has an atomic number \( Z = 5 \). This means a neutral boron atom has 5 electrons. The electron configuration of boron is \( 1s^2 2s^2 2p^1 \).
Step 2: Identify the Valence Electrons
Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom. For boron, the outermost shell is the second shell, which contains the \( 2s^2 2p^1 \) electrons.
Step 3: Count the Valence Electrons
In the second shell, boron has 2 electrons in the \( 2s \) orbital and 1 electron in the \( 2p \) orbital, making a total of 3 valence electrons.