Question

eckpoint: valence electrons and bond formation
dec 12, 2025 11:59pm
tempt 1
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use the drop-down arrows to complete the sentences.
atoms achieve stability by having electrons fill their electron shell. this involves reaching a total of
electrons for most elements.

Explanation:

To solve this, we recall the octet rule (for main - group elements) and the concept of electron shells. Atoms achieve stability by filling their outermost (valence) electron shell. For most elements (especially main - group elements), the outermost shell is stable when it has 8 electrons (the octet rule, with some exceptions like hydrogen and helium, but for most elements, 8 is the stable number).

Step 1: First Drop - Down

The first blank is about the electron shell that needs to be filled for stability. Atoms fill their outermost (valence) electron shell. So the first drop - down should be filled with "outermost (or valence)".

Step 2: Second Drop - Down

For most elements, the stable number of electrons in the outermost shell is 8 (octet rule). So the second drop - down should be filled with "8".

Answer:

First drop - down: outermost (valence)
Second drop - down: 8