1. Understand Valence Electrons:
* Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom. They are the ones involved in chemical bonding.
2. Determine Valence Electrons per Atom:
* Carbon (C): Carbon is in group 14 of the periodic table, so it has 4 valence electrons.
* Hydrogen (H): Hydrogen is in group 1, so it has 1 valence electron.
3. Calculate Total Valence Electrons:
* Acetylene has 2 carbon atoms (2 x 4 valence electrons = 8)
* Acetylene has 2 hydrogen atoms (2 x 1 valence electron = 2)
* Total valence electrons in acetylene: 8 + 2 = 10
Therefore, acetylene (C₂H₂) has 10 valence electrons.
