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QuestionChemistry

How many valence electrons does carbon have?
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Answer

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Step 1:

Step 2:
: Recall the definition of valence electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom and are involved in the formation of chemical bonds with other atoms.

Step 3:

Step 4:
: Identify the atomic number of carbon

The atomic number of carbon is 6.

Step 5:

Step 6:
: Determine the number of valence electrons

The periodic table shows that carbon is in the 14th group (also known as group 4A), which means it has 4 valence electrons. Alternatively, we can determine the number of valence electrons by looking at the electron configuration of carbon. The electron configuration of carbon is 1s^2 2s^2 2p^2, which shows that the outermost shell (n= 2) has 4 electrons (2s^2 2p^2).

Final Answer

Carbon has 4 valence electrons.