Video Transcript
In the picture, a portion of the periodic table is shown. What is the valence of helium?
The valence of an element is the number of electrons an atom gains, loses, or shares when forming a bond during a chemical reaction. For example, an atom that gains one electron would have a valence of one. Atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons in order to gain a full outer shell of electrons and increase stability.
The question asks about the valence of helium. Helium is found in the rightmost group of the periodic table. Therefore, it is a stable noble gas and contains a full outer shell of electrons. It only contains two electrons, but that’s the maximum number of electrons that the first electron shell can contain. As helium is stable and has a full outer shell of electrons, it is unlikely that it would gain, lose, or share electrons. As helium is unlikely to gain, lose, or share electrons, it has a valence of zero.
