Valence Electrons
The name "valence electrons" obviously comes from the older idea of valences; the mysterious numbers Mendeleev used can
now be explained via electron configurations. Look again at the applet and
the valence chart below, and see if you can tell why the valence system
worked and what the numbers really mean.
| 1 | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| ... |
Electron configurations will also explain why the transition metals didn't
fit the pattern, as you'll soon see.
