Question

how many valence electrons does silicon have?

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the electron configuration of silicon

Silicon has an atomic number of 14. Its electron configuration is \(1s^{2}2s^{2}2p^{6}3s^{2}3p^{2}\).

Step2: Identify the valence electrons

Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell. For silicon, the outermost shell is the third shell (\(n = 3\)). The number of electrons in the \(3s\) and \(3p\) orbitals is \(2 + 2=4\).

Answer:

4