Is fluorine a metal or a nonmetal? How many valence electrons does a fluorine atom have?

Fluorine is identified as a nonmetal based on its position in the periodic table.
The electron configuration of fluorine is determined to be 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 5 .
The valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell, which is the second shell.
Fluorine has 7 valence electrons: 7 ​ .

Explanation

Problem Analysis Fluorine is a chemical element with the symbol F and atomic number 9. We need to determine if it's a metal or a nonmetal and how many valence electrons it has.

Identifying Fluorine as a Nonmetal Fluorine is located in Group 17 (also known as the halogens) of the periodic table. Elements in this group are known to be nonmetals. Therefore, fluorine is a nonmetal.

Electron Configuration of Fluorine To determine the number of valence electrons, we need to look at the electron configuration of fluorine. Fluorine has 9 electrons. The electron configuration is 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 5 .

Determining Valence Electrons The valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell. In the case of fluorine, the outermost shell is the second shell (n=2), which contains 2 s 2 2 p 5 . Therefore, the number of valence electrons is 2 + 5 = 7 .

Final Answer Fluorine is a nonmetal and has 7 valence electrons.


Examples
Understanding valence electrons helps predict how elements will bond to form molecules. For example, knowing fluorine has 7 valence electrons tells us it needs one more electron to achieve a stable octet. This explains why fluorine readily forms compounds by sharing or gaining an electron, such as in hydrogen fluoride (HF) or sodium fluoride (NaF). This concept is crucial in chemistry for understanding chemical reactions and compound formation.

Answered by GinnyAnswer | 2025-07-07

Fluorine is a nonmetal and possesses 7 valence electrons. This is determined from its position in the periodic table and its electron configuration, which reveals its outermost electron shell. Understanding these properties is important in predicting how fluorine interacts chemically with other elements.
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Answered by Anonymous | 2025-08-12