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QuestionChemistry

How many valence electrons are found in phosphorus?
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Answer

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Step 1:
I'll solve this problem step by step, following the specified LaTeX formatting guidelines:

Step 2:
: Determine the element's position on the periodic table

- Phosphorus (P) is located in Group 15 (VA) of the periodic table - Its atomic number is 15

Step 3:
: Understand valence electron configuration

- Valence electrons are found in the outermost shell of an atom - For main group elements, the group number indicates the number of valence electrons

Step 4:
: Calculate valence electrons for Group 15 elements

- The electrons in the $$3p$$ orbital are the valence electrons
- This can be confirmed by the electron configuration of phosphorus: 1s^{2} 2s^{2} 2p^{6} 3s^{2} 3p^{3}

Step 5:
: Count valence electrons

- Phosphorus has $$5$$ valence electrons in its $$3p$$ orbital

Final Answer

Phosphorus has 5 valence electrons.