To determine the number of valence electrons in oxygen, we can refer to its position on the periodic table and its electronic configuration.
1. Locate Oxygen on the Periodic Table:
- Oxygen is located in Group 16 (also known as Group VI A) and Period 2 of the periodic table.
2. Determine the Atomic Number:
- Oxygen has an atomic number of 8, which means it has 8 electrons in its neutral state.
3. Write the Electron Configuration:
- The electronic configuration of oxygen is [tex]\( 1s^2 2s^2 2p^4 \)[/tex].
- The first shell (1s) can hold up to 2 electrons.
- The second shell (2s and 2p together) can hold up to 8 electrons, but in the case of oxygen, it holds the remaining 6 electrons.
4. Identify the Valence Electrons:
- Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom. For oxygen, the outermost shell is the second shell.
- The second shell's configuration is [tex]\( 2s^2 2p^4 \)[/tex]. Adding these together, we get [tex]\( 2 + 4 = 6 \)[/tex] valence electrons.
Therefore, oxygen has 6 valence electrons.
The correct answer is:
C. 6
