Week_2_____Chemical_Structures

Week 2 – Chemical Structures Question The electron configuration of an atom determines the number of electrons available to participate in bonding with another atom. One method of depicting the valence electrons that an atom has is through the Lewis structure. To begin this discussion, pick an element from the periodic table of elements. Identify the valence electrons and the orbitals in which they reside. You can use the textbook and lecture. Answer 1 Silicon (Si) Atomic # = 14 - which means 14 protons. To have a neutral atom that means 14 electrons: Here’s what We know
 Energy level 1 can hold 2 electrons Energy level 2 can hold 8 electrons Energy level 3 can hold 4 electrons Final configuration is written: 1s2 2s2p6 3s2p2 Answer 2 Carbon electron configuration: 1s22s22p2 Carbon is the element that I have chosen for this post. Carbon has 4 valence electrons and they reside in n=2 shell, specifically the 2s and 2p orbitals. Carbon has 2 unpaired electrons from the 2p orbital. Carbon can form 4 covalent bonds. Carbon can participate in double and triple bonds because it can share 1, 2, or 3 pairs of electrons when bonding. The number of valence electrons in Carbon allows it to share the pairs of electrons with another Carbon atom or even atoms such as Oxygen.