Sodium valence electrons

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Sodium is classified as an alkali metal and holds 1 valence electron. The valence electrons for sodium can be determined by two methods: one is to directly check its position on the periodic table – which is group 1 in this case – and the second is to use its electron configuration.

Methods

Using periodic table

Get the periodic table having the chemical elements marked on it as mentioned above.

Now mark the location of sodium on the periodic table.

Next, mark the group number of sodium on the periodic table.

The valence electrons of each main-group element can be determined by the column in which it is located.

(i.e., all group 1 elements have 1 valence electron, all group 2 elements have 2 valence electrons, skip the transition metals… then, all group 13 elements have 3 valence electrons, all group 14 elements have 4 valence electrons, and so on up to group 18 elements)

Since sodium is in group 1, it has 1 valence electron.

Using electron configuration

• First, write electron configuration of sodium

The electron configuration of sodium is [Ne] 3s¹.

• Second, find highest energy level in electron configuration

In the above electron configuration, the highest energy level (3) is marked with green color.

• Finally, count electrons of that energy level

The 3^rd energy level contains 3s subshell and it has 1 electron. So sodium has a total of 1 valence electron.

Next: Magnesium valence electrons

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Related

• Periodic table

More topics

• Sodium
• Sodium Bohr model
• Sodium orbital diagram
• Sodium protons neutrons electrons

External links

• https://socratic.org/questions/how-many-valence-electrons-does-sodium-have
• https://whatsinsight.org/sodium-valence-electrons/
• https://sciencing.com/how-many-valence-electrons-does-sodium-have-13710213.html
• https://www.sciencecoverage.com/2020/10/sodium-valence-electrons.html