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QuestionChemistry

How many valence electrons does sodium have?
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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:
: Identify the element

Sodium (Na) is located in Group 1 (alkali metals) of the periodic table. Its atomic number is 11.

Step 3:
: Determine electron configuration

The electron configuration of sodium is $$1s^{2} 2s^{2} 2p^{6} 3s^{1}

Step 4:
: Locate valence electrons

For sodium, this is the $$3s^{1}$$ electron.
In Group 1 elements, the valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell.

Step 5:
: Count valence electrons

Sodium has $$1$$ valence electron.

Final Answer

Key Insight: - Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell - For main group elements, the number of valence electrons corresponds to the group number - Sodium's single valence electron makes it highly reactive, typical of alkali metals