Final answer:
A neutral atom of fluorine has nine electrons with seven located in its valence shell according to its Group 7A classification. It is depicted using a Lewis dot structure representing its valence electrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
Fluorine (F), which is a halogen, has an atomic structure consisting of an atomic number of 9. This means a neutral fluorine atom contains nine electrons. The electron configuration is arranged in two energy levels with the first energy level, or shell, containing 2 electrons and denoted as 1s². The second energy level contains the remaining 7 electrons, distributed as 2s² 2pµ. In its valence shell, fluorine has seven electrons, coinciding with its placement in Group 7A of the periodic table. These seven valence electrons make fluorine highly reactive and likely to form compounds by gaining one electron, becoming a negative ion called fluoride (F⁺). In molecular structures, the Lewis dot structure can represent the valence electrons as dots around the symbol of fluorine.