Answer to Question #146485 in General Chemistry for james

Question

Electron configurations are a way to represent where the electrons are and how many electrons exist in a given element. In addition, the electron configuration can also indicate the number and location of the valence electrons. The valence electrons are important as they are a major factor in determining the physical and chemical properties of an element.

Which pair of elements will have a similar valence shell electron configuration?

Answer 1

Elements in the same column have the same number of valence electrons resulting in a similar valence shell electron configuration. Only nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are in the same column, and therefore, they will have a similar number of valence electrons.