The Life of a Valence Electron
The important job of a valence electron
Ion
An ion is a molecule with an electric charge from a loss or gain of electrons. Ex; sodium, calcium.
Covalent Bon
A covalent bond is the bond between two nonmetallic elements.
Ionic Bond
An ionic bond is a chemical bond between two ions while electrons are being transferred. Also know as electrovalence bond, after the atom gives up it's electron, the two separate ions have different charges. A common example of a ionic bond is table salt (NaCl).
Valence electron
A valence electron is the electron found on the outer most shell of the atom. Like other atoms, it has a negative charge to make the atom neutral. The only things that makes this electron different from the others is its ability to determine the atom’s chemical properties. It also determines whether the atom will bond with other atoms. An example of a valence electron is magnesium. It has a total of 12 electrons, making Magnesium come in with two Valence electrons.
Metal
A metal is a solid element, good for conducting heat and electricity. Examples are copper, gold, iron, and silver.
Nonmetal
A nonmetal is the opposite of a metal. It dose not have the character of a metal. Examples being nitrogen and carbon.
Energy Level
The Energy level is the amount of energy that a system in an atom can have. It determines how matter may exist. Each different atom has it's own energy level, making everything separate from others.