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Chapter 5: Problem 5

a) Why is the nuclear charge of Be "+4"? b) How many inner-shell electrons does Be have? c) How many valence electrons does Be have? d) Show how the core charge for Be was calculated. e) What is the relationship between the number of valence electrons and the core charge of a neutral atom?

Short Answer

Expert verified
a) Be has '+4' nuclear charge because it has 4 protons. b) Be has 2 inner-shell electrons. c) Be has 2 valence electrons. d) The core charge for Be is '+2', calculated as the number of protons (4) minus the number of inner-shell electrons (2). e) In a neutral atom, the number of valence electrons equals the core charge, as these electrons balance the positive core charge to keep the atom neutral.

Step by step solution

01

- Nuclear Charge

The nuclear charge is equal to the number of protons in an atom's nucleus. Beryllium's atomic number is 4, which means it has 4 protons. Therefore, the nuclear charge of Beryllium is '+4'.
02

- Inner-Shell Electrons

Beryllium has an electron configuration of '1s2 2s2'. The first shell (n=1) has 2 electrons which are considered as inner-shell electrons in this case.
03

- Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the electrons in an atom's outermost shell. For Beryllium, these are the electrons in the 2s subshell. There are 2 electrons in 2s, so Beryllium has 2 valence electrons.
04

- Core Charge Calculation

The core charge of an atom can be calculated by the formula: Core Charge = Number of Protons - Number of Inner-shell Electrons. Replacing the values for Beryllium: Core Charge = 4 (protons) - 2 (inner-shell electrons) = +2.
05

- Relationship between Valence Electrons and Core Charge

In a neutral atom, the total number of electrons equals the total number of protons. Since these are distributed among the inner shells and the valence shell, the total number of valence electrons is equal to the core charge. Because the valence electrons balance out the positive core charge to maintain the atom's neutrality.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Locate H, Li, and Na on the periodic table. a) Describe any relationship between the core charge of these atoms, the number of valence electrons, and their positions in the periodic table. b) Describe any relationship between the valence shell of these atoms and their positions in the periodic table. c) Based on its position in the periodic table, predict the valence shell, core charge, and number of valence electrons for \(\mathrm{Rb}\). d) Using the shell model and referring to the Coulombic Potential Energy relationship (equation in Model 1, CA3), explain clearly how the \(\mathrm{IE}_{1}\) for \(\mathrm{Rb}\) is consistent with your answer to part c.

How does the core charge for Na compare to the core charge for Li?

How many electrons are in the valence shell of a) H? b) Li? C) He?

Based on its position in the periodic table, what is the valence shell and what is the core charge for C? Explain your reasoning.

How does the core charge on the neutral atom change as we move from left to right across a row (period) of the periodic table?
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