Questions: How many valence electrons are in a neutral atom of fluorine?

Transcript text: How many valence electrons are in a neutral atom of fluorine?

Solution

Solution Steps

Step 1: Determine the Atomic Number of Fluorine

Fluorine is an element in the periodic table with the atomic number 9. The atomic number indicates the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom, and for a neutral atom, it also equals the number of electrons.

Step 2: Identify the Electron Configuration

The electron configuration of an atom describes the distribution of electrons in the atomic orbitals. For fluorine, with 9 electrons, the electron configuration is: \[ 1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^5 \]

Step 3: Count the Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom. For fluorine, the outermost shell is the second shell, which contains the \(2s^2 \, 2p^5\) electrons. Therefore, the number of valence electrons is: \[ 2 + 5 = 7 \]

Final Answer

\(\boxed{7}\)

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