How many valence electrons does phosphorus (P) have?

• A. 7
• B. 3
• C. 5
• D. 8

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the element in question, which is phosphorus (P).
2. Determine the group number of phosphorus in the periodic table. Phosphorus is in group 15 (or group V in older notation).
3. Recall that the group number for main-group elements corresponds to the number of valence electrons for that element.
4. Since phosphorus is in group 15, it has 5 valence electrons.
5. Therefore, the number of valence electrons in phosphorus is 5.