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Do sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) now have 8 electrons in their respective outermost electron shells?

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No, sodium has 1 electron in its outermost shell, while chlorine has 7 electrons in its outermost shell.

Sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) do not have 8 electrons in their respective outermost electron shells. Sodium, with an atomic number of 11, has an electron configuration of 2-8-1, meaning it has one electron in its outermost shell. Chlorine, with an atomic number of 17, has an electron configuration of 2-8-7, indicating that it lacks one electron to achieve a stable, full outer shell.

These elements exhibit chemical reactivity to achieve a stable electron configuration, with sodium tending to lose one electron and chlorine tending to gain one electron to achieve the desired octet configuration. The resulting sodium ion (Na⁺) has a full outer shell, while the chloride ion (Cl⁻) also attains a complete outer electron shell through the gain of an electron.

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