Final answer:
The chemical behavior of an atom is determined by its outermost electron shell's electron configuration, influencing its reactivity based on the filled or unfilled status of its valence shell.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chemical behavior of an atom is determined by the outermost electron shell, more specifically, by the number of electrons in its valence shell.
An atom's reactivity is influenced by whether its valence shell is full or not. Atoms with full valence shells tend to be stable and less reactive, whereas atoms with incomplete valence shells are more likely to participate in chemical reactions to achieve stability.
The atomic number (Z), which is the number of protons in the nucleus, defines the element and ensures an equal number of electrons in a neutral atom, which further influences the chemical properties dictated by the electron configuration in the outermost shell.
The chemical behavior of an atom is determined by the outermost electron shell of the atom. The outermost electron shell is also known as the valence shell.
If the valence shell is full, the atom is stable and less likely to react with other atoms. If the valence shell is not full, the atom is reactive and tends to react with other atoms to achieve a full valence shell.