Nickel, with the atomic number 28, has 10 valence electrons. To understand this, let’s break it down:
1. Atomic Structure: Nickel has 28 electrons in total. These electrons are arranged in different energy levels or shells around the nucleus.
2. Electron Configuration: The electron configuration of Nickel is [Ar] 3d8 4s2. This means that in the outermost shell (the 4th shell), Nickel has 2 electrons in the 4s orbital and 8 electrons in the 3d orbital.
3. Valence Electrons: Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that can participate in chemical bonding. For Nickel, the 4s and 3d electrons are considered valence electrons. Therefore, Nickel has 2 (from 4s) + 8 (from 3d) = 10 valence electrons.
Understanding the number of valence electrons is crucial as it determines how an element will react chemically with other elements.