Name:

________________________________________________________________________________________________ Period ________

What Are Valence Electrons?

• Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom.

• To know how many valence electrons an element has, find the element on the
periodic table. The group number indicates how many valence electrons it has.

Example:
Elements in Group 2 will
have 2 valence electrons.

Elements in Group 17 will
have 7 valence electrons.

• Atoms aim to have a full outer shell of electrons – usually 8 valence electrons.
This desire to have 8 electrons in their outer energy level is called the Octet Rule.

Ex: Carbon has how many valence electrons? Ex: Chlorine has how many valence electrons?



4 valence electrons 7 valence electrons

Instructions: Determine the number of valence electrons in an atom of each element.

1) helium ____2____ 4) hydrogen ____1____

2) magnesium ____2____ 5) krypton ____8____

3) sulfur ____6____ 6) aluminum ____3____


Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Period _________

Valence Electrons and Lewis Dot Structures

• Valence electrons are represented in diagrams called Lewis dot structures.

• Unlike regular atomic diagrams, Lewis dot structures only display
valence electrons and the element symbol.
• That means that a maximum of eight electrons can be drawn per atom.

Drawing Lewis Dot Structures:

1) Draw the element symbol of the atom being drawn

2) Identify how the number of valence electrons that element will have
3) Draw the correct number of valence electrons around the element symbol.
Electrons will not be paired with another until all four sides contain one electron.



Example: Draw a Lewis Dot structure for each element below

Carbon Beryllium Sulfur

Nitrogen Lithium Neon

 The Octet Rule
• Atoms are most stable when they have a full outer shell of valence electrons.
• Most atoms will attempt to have a full outer shell of eight valence electrons.
• Atoms will gain or lose electrons to fulfill the Octet Rule.
• Atoms seek to gain or lose the fewest electrons possible in becoming stable.

Example: Draw a Lewis Dot structure for each element below. Indicate whether the

element will gain or lose electrons to have a full outer shell, and identify how many

electrons it will gain or lose.

Bromine Calcium

Bromine will gain 1 electron Calcium will lose 2 electrons

in order to have a full outer and be left with a full outer
shell of eight electrons. shell of valence electrons.


Lithium Oxygen

Lithium will lose 1 electron Oxygen will gain 2 electrons

and be left with a full outer in order to have a full outer
shell of valence electrons. shell of eight electrons.

Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Period ________

Valence Electrons – Practice Problems

Example: Complete the chart below by filling in each space for each element.

Number of How many
Element Group Valence Lewis Dot Structure electrons will the
Number Electrons atom gain or lose?

Lose 2
Magnesium 2 2
electrons






Lose 3
Aluminum
13 3 electrons




Gain 3
Nitrogen

15 5 electrons







Gain 2
Selenium

16 6 electrons

Gain 3

Phosphorus 15 5 electrons




Gain 1
Chlorine

17 7 electron





Lose 1
Rubidium

1 1 electron



Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Period ________

What Are Valence Electrons?

• Valence electrons are the in an atom.

• To know how many valence electrons an element has, find the element on the
periodic table. The indicates how many valence electrons it has.

Example:
Elements in Group 2 will
have valence electrons.

Elements in Group 17 will
have valence electrons.

• Atoms aim to have a full outer shell of electrons – usually .

This desire to have 8 electrons in their outer energy level is called the .

Ex: Carbon has how many valence electrons? Ex: Chlorine has how many valence electrons?

Instructions: Determine the number of valence electrons in an atom of each element.

7) helium ________ 10) hydrogen ________

8) magnesium ________ 11) krypton ________

9) sulfur ________ 12) aluminum ________


Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Period _________

Valence Electrons and Lewis Dot Structures

• Valence electrons are represented in diagrams called Lewis dot structures.

• Unlike regular atomic diagrams, Lewis dot structures only display
valence electrons and the element symbol.
• That means that a maximum of eight electrons can be drawn per atom.

Drawing Lewis Dot Structures:

4) Draw the element symbol of the atom being drawn

5) Identify how the number of valence electrons that element will have
6) Draw the correct number of valence electrons around the element symbol.
Electrons will not be paired with another until all four sides contain one electron.



Example: Draw a Lewis Dot structure for each element below

Carbon Beryllium Sulfur

Nitrogen Lithium Neon

 The Octet Rule
• Atoms are most stable when they have a full outer shell of valence electrons.
• Most atoms will attempt to have a full outer shell of eight valence electrons.
• Atoms will gain or lose electrons to fulfill the Octet Rule.
• Atoms seek to gain or lose the fewest electrons possible in becoming stable.

Example: Draw a Lewis Dot structure for each element below. Indicate whether the

element will gain or lose electrons to have a full outer shell, and identify how many

electrons it will gain or lose.

Bromine Calcium

Lithium Oxygen
Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Period ________

Valence Electrons – Practice Problems

Example: Complete the chart below by filling in each space for each element.

Number of How many

Element Group Valence Lewis Dot Structure electrons will the
Number Electrons atom gain or lose?

Magnesium




Aluminum




Nitrogen




Selenium




Phosphorus




Chlorine




Rubidium