How many valence electrons are in Sc? What is/are the orbital(s) the valence electrons are found? d. How many core electrons are in Sc?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Answer:
- Valence electrons in Scandium (Sc): 3
- Orbitals where the valence electrons are found: 4s and 3d
- Number of core electrons in Sc: 18
Explanation:
Scandium (Sc) has an atomic number of 21, which means it has 21 electrons in its neutral state. To determine the number of valence electrons, we look at the electron configuration of scandium.
The electron configuration of Sc is:
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹
From this, we see that the electrons in the outermost shells are:
- Two electrons in the 4s orbital
- One electron in the 3d orbital
These are the electrons that participate in bonding and chemical reactions, so they are considered valence electrons. Therefore, scandium has three valence electrons in total: two in 4s and one in 3d.
The core electrons are those that are not involved in bonding and are found in the inner energy levels. For scandium, the inner (core) electrons are the ones in:
- 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶
These add up to 18 core electrons (2 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 6 = 18).
To summarize:
- The valence shell consists of the 4s and partially filled 3d orbitals.
- The 3 valence electrons are located in these orbitals.
- The core electrons are the remaining 18 electrons that fill the first three energy levels.
Understanding the distribution of electrons in orbitals helps explain an element’s chemical behavior. Scandium, being a transition metal, often loses its valence electrons to form a +3 oxidation state, which is common in its compounds.
