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Oxygen has 6 valence electrons. How many electrons does an atom of oxygen need to become stable?

two
four
six
eight

2 Answers

6 votes

Answer:

A. two

Step-by-step explanation:

i got it right

User Yoonie
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6 votes

Answer:

2 electrons

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the octet rule, atoms must bond to each other, sharing electrons among themselves in an attempt to complete their valence shell (last layer of the electrosphere). In other words, an atom becomes stable when it has 8 electrons in its valence shell.

Oxygen atoms have six electrons in their valence shell, so to achieve the stability suggested by the octet rule (eight electrons), these atoms share two electrons, forming one oxygen gas (O₂) molecule.

User Fakewaffle
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