The element oxygen (O) has a total of 6 valence electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons located in the outermost shell of an atom and are responsible for the chemical properties of the element.
In the case of oxygen, it is found in Group 16 of the periodic table, which informs us about its electron configuration. The electron configuration of oxygen is 1s² 2s² 2p⁴. The outermost shell (the second shell) contains 6 electrons, which include 2 in the 2s subshell and 4 in the 2p subshell. These 6 valence electrons are crucial for oxygen’s ability to form bonds with other elements.
When discussing the specific valence electrons, we refer to the electrons in the 2s and 2p orbitals. The 2s orbital holds 2 electrons, and the 2p orbital, which can hold up to 6 but with 4 occupied, plays a vital role in how oxygen interacts chemically, particularly in forming covalent bonds (like in water, H₂O) or gaining electrons to achieve a stable octet configuration.