How many valence electrons does argon (Ar) have?

• A. 8
• B. 2
• C. 6
• D. 4

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the element in question, which is argon (Ar). Argon is a noble gas located in Group 18 of the periodic table.
2. Recall that valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell (energy level) of an atom that participate in chemical bonding.
3. Determine the electron configuration of argon. Argon has an atomic number of 18, so its electron configuration is \$1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6$.
4. Identify the electrons in the outermost shell, which is the third shell (n=3) for argon. This shell contains the \$3s^2\( and \)3p^6$ electrons.
5. Add the electrons in the outermost shell: \$2\( (from \)3s^2\() plus \)6\( (from \)3p^6\(), giving a total of \)8$ valence electrons for argon.