Final answer:
The number of electrons in the outer shells of the elements is a. Silicon: 4 electrons, b. Sulfur: 6 electrons and c. Beryllium: 2 electrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
To draw the Lewis structures for each element and determine the number of electrons in their outer shells, we first need to determine the number of valence electrons for each element.
In Lewis structures, dots represent valence electrons. The number of valence electrons for an element corresponds to its group number in the periodic table. Silicon is in Group 14. Sulfur is in Group 16. Beryllium is in Group 2. Valence electrons are the outermost electrons involved in bonding and chemical reactions, influencing an element's reactivity and bonding behavior. Understanding Lewis structures helps in predicting how elements will combine to form compounds.
a. Silicon (Si) is in Group 14, so it has 4 valence electrons. The Lewis structure for silicon will have 4 dots around the atomic symbol.
b. Sulfur (S) is in Group 16, so it has 6 valence electrons. The Lewis structure for sulfur will have 6 dots around the atomic symbol.
c. Beryllium (Be) is in Group 2, so it has 2 valence electrons. The Lewis structure for beryllium will have 2 dots around the atomic symbol.