Final answer:
Sodium has 1 valence electron, silicon has 4, beryllium has 2, and oxygen has 6. Valence electrons are responsible for an atom's ability to bond with other atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that can participate in forming chemical bonds with other atoms. Here's the number of valence electrons for each specified element:
- Sodium (Na): As an alkali metal in group 1 of the periodic table, sodium has 1 valence electron. Its electron configuration is [Ne]3s¹.
- Silicon (Si): This element is in group 14 of the periodic table and has 4 valence electrons. Silicon's electron configuration is [Ne]3s¹2p¶.
- Beryllium (Be): With an atomic number of 4, beryllium resides in group 2 of the periodic table and holds 2 valence electrons. The electron configuration for beryllium is 1s¹2s².
- Oxygen (O): As a member of group 16, oxygen has 6 valence electrons. Its electron configuration is [He]2s²2p´.