Question

Magnesium crystallises in the HCP structure with lattice constant a=3.21*10^10 and L/a ratio is 1.6:4,
Determine number of core electron and the number of valence electrons in a Magnesium atom given that it has 12 electrons.

Answer 1

Magnesium atoms has 12 electrons in total.

Electron's configuration of Mg is:

$$1s^22s^22p^63s^2$$

As we can see, it has two valence electrons on the outer, 3rd shell.

Also, it has 10 core electrons on 1st and 2nd shell