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QuestionChemistry

How many valence electrons does strontium (Sr) have? A. 1 B. 2 C. 5 D. 6
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Answer

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Step 1:
I'll solve this step-by-step using the guidelines you specified:

Step 2:
: Determine Strontium's Position on the Periodic Table

- Strontium (Sr) is located in Group 2 (alkaline earth metals) of the periodic table - Its atomic number is 38

Step 3:
: Electron Configuration

- The electron configuration of strontium is $$1s^{2} 2s^{2} 2p^{6} 3s^{2} 3p^{6} 4s^{2}

Step 4:
: Count Valence Electrons

- Group 2 elements have $$2$$ valence electrons
- For Group 2 elements, the number of valence electrons is equal to the group number - These are the electrons in the outermost shell (4s^{2} in strontium's case)

Step 5:
: Verify the Answer

- Counting the valence electrons confirms there are $$2$$ valence electrons

Final Answer

The key is recognizing that Group 2 elements always have 2 valence electrons, which are located in the s-orbital of the outermost shell.