Here's why:
* Electronic Configuration: The electronic configuration of mercury is [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s².
* Outermost Shell: The outermost shell is the 6th shell, and it contains 2 electrons in the 6s subshell.
* Valence Electrons: These 2 electrons in the 6s subshell are also known as the valence electrons, which are the ones involved in chemical bonding.