Valence Electrons in Mercury (Hg)

Valence Electrons in Mercury

Determine the number of valence electrons in Mercury (Hg, Element 80)

Step 1: Look up the electronic configuration for Mercury

The abbreviated (condensed) ground electronic configuration for Mercury is:

[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s²

Calculate Electronic Configuration for Mercury

Step 2: Identify the outermost electrons using the electronic configuration

Electrons in atomic orbitals outside the [Xe] core are the outermost electrons:

4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s²

Step 3: Use the principle quantum number to identify the valence electrons

Extract the principle quantum number, n, and number of electrons from the electron configuration:

The outermost electrons with the largest principal quantum number (in this case, n = 6) are valence electrons.

Answer

Mercury (Hg) has 2 valence electron(s).