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QuestionChemistry

How many valence electrons does an atom of iron have?
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Answer

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

Step 2:
: Determine the electron configuration of iron

1s^{2} 2s^{2} 2p^{6} 3s^{2} 3p^{6} 4s^{2} 3d^{6}
Iron's atomic number is 26, so we need to write out its complete electron configuration:

Step 3:
: Identify valence electrons

Valence electrons are those in the outermost shell and partially filled shells that can participate in chemical bonding. For transition metals like iron, this includes electrons in the 4s and 3d orbitals.

Step 4:
: Count valence electrons

2 + 6 = 8 \text{ valence electrons}
- 3d orbital: 6 \text{ electrons}

Final Answer

An atom of iron has 8 \text{ valence electrons}.