Question

How do valence electrons determine chemical properties?

Answer 1

Valence is defined as the number of the electrons of the atom which the atom must lose or gain so that it gets the nearest noble gas electronic configuration. The electrons which are not filled in the outer shells are called valence electrons. The valence electrons tend to either absorb or release energy in the photon form.

Complete answer:
The valence electron is considered as the outer shell electron which is associated with the atom and has the tendency to participate in the formation of the chemical bond if the outer shell is not closed. The covalent bond is formed by two atoms and tends to contribute one valence electron each so that it forms the shared pair. The valence electrons tend to determine whether it will make the bond with the other elements or not. It also helps in determining the number of the bonds formed and the charge on the atom. And these all are considered as the chemical properties of the atom. So if we consider the element sodium which is present in the group 1 so it will have 1 valence electron in the outermost shell. So it will have the tendency to readily give its electron to have the full outer energy level.

Note: The valence electrons for all the elements which are present in group 1 have 1 electron in its outermost shell. The valence electrons of the elements which are present in group 2 have two valence electrons in it. The valence electrons have the tendency for determining the electrical conductivity of the element. On this basis we can determine whether the element is metal or the non metal.