Chemical Bonding Basics

Flashcards covering key concepts related to chemical bonding and valence electrons.

Valence Electrons

Electrons located in the outermost energy level responsible for bonding.

Octet Rule

Atoms will gain or lose enough electrons to become isoelectronic with a noble gas, aiming for 8 valence electrons.

Isoelectronic

Having the same number of electrons as a noble gas.

Electron Configuration

The distribution of electrons in an atom's energy levels.

Ca

Calcium loses 2 electrons to attain a noble gas electron configuration.

Al

Aluminum loses 3 electrons to attain a noble gas electron configuration.

S

Sulfur gains 2 electrons to attain a noble gas electron configuration.

Cl

Chlorine gains 1 electron to become an ion with a -1 charge.

Phosphorus

Phosphorus gains 3 electrons to become an ion with a -3 charge.

Ion Charges

The charge obtained by an element when it becomes an ion, e.g., aluminum +3, lithium +1.