Question

critical thinking: why is the number of valence outer shell electrons more important for chemical bonding than the total number of electrons?electron configuration & bonding practicepart 1: the bohr model of a water moleculeoxygen o has an atomic number of 8, leaving it with 6 outer shell electrons that determine bonding. in order to form water, it shares two of its electrons with two hydrogens h.hydrogen has an atomic number of 1, leaving it with 1 outer shell electron to determine bonding. in order to form water, it shares one of its electrons with one oxygen.draw what this water molecules electrons would look like below.remember: the first shell holds up to 2 electrons, and the second shell holds up to 8.final critical thinking questions:1. how does the transfer of electrons lead to the formation of an ionic compound? include the vocabulary cation and anion in your response.2. if an atom already has a full outer shell, will it bond with other atoms? why or why not?3. from you notes, what ways can a molecule/compound be broken up that an element cannot be?

Explanation:

First: Bohr Model of Water Molecule

Step1: Fulfill H's outer shell

Hydrogen (1 proton, 1 valence electron) shares its electron with oxygen, and gains a shared electron from oxygen to fill its 1st shell (max 2 electrons).

Step2: Fulfill O's outer shell

Oxygen (8 protons, 6 valence electrons) shares 1 electron with each hydrogen, giving it 8 total outer-shell electrons (6 own + 2 shared) to fill its 2nd shell (max 8 electrons).

Step3: Draw the bonded molecule

The final structure has a central oxygen atom with a full outer shell (8 electrons: 4 unshared, 2 pairs shared with H), and each hydrogen atom with a full outer shell (2 electrons: 1 own, 1 shared with O).

1. Ionic compounds form when electrons transfer between atoms: a metal loses valence electrons to become a positively charged cation, and a nonmetal gains those electrons to become a negatively charged anion. The opposite electric charges of the cation and anion attract strongly, forming a stable ionic bond and ionic compound.
2. An atom with a full outer shell will not bond with other atoms. Full outer electron shells mean the atom is already in a low-energy, stable state, so it has no drive to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve stability.
3. Molecules/compounds can be broken down via chemical reactions (e.g., hydrolysis of water into H₂ and O₂, or decomposition of salt via electrolysis). Elements cannot be broken down further by chemical means, as they consist of only one type of atom.
4. Valence electrons are more important for bonding because only outer-shell electrons are involved in gaining, losing, or sharing to achieve a full, stable outer electron configuration. Total electrons include inner-shell electrons, which are already stable and do not participate in bonding interactions.

Answer:

(Visual description of the Bohr model: A central red oxygen nucleus, surrounded by a second electron shell with 8 electrons (4 as unpaired dots, 2 pairs each connected to a hydrogen nucleus). Each hydrogen nucleus has a single electron shell with 2 electrons (one original, one shared from oxygen) orbiting it, connected to the oxygen shell.)

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Critical Thinking & Final Questions