QQuestionChemistry
QuestionChemistry
"How many valence electrons does barium have, and what energy levels do they occupy?
A. One valence electron in the 6s state
B. Two valence electrons in 6s states
C. No valence electrons"
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Answer
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Step 1:I'll solve this step-by-step following the precise LaTeX and formatting guidelines:
Step 2:: Determine Barium's Electron Configuration
- Its electron configuration is $$1s^{2} 2s^{2} 2p^{6} 3s^{2} 3p^{6} 4s^{2} 3d^{10} 4p^{6} 5s^{2} 4d^{10} 5p^{6} 6s^{2}
- Barium's atomic number is 56
Step 3:: Identify Valence Electrons
- For barium, these are the electrons in the $$6s^{2}$$ orbital
- Valence electrons are those in the outermost shell - This means barium has two valence electrons in the 6s energy level
Step 4:: Analyze Answer Choices
- Option A is incorrect (one electron) - Option B matches our configuration (two electrons in 6s) - Option C is incorrect (barium does have valence electrons)
Final Answer
Two valence electrons in 6s states Key Insight: The 6s^{2} configuration is characteristic of Group 2 (alkaline earth metals) elements like barium, which always have two valence electrons in their outermost s orbital.
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