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We sometimes write atomic symbols with dots representing the electrons. This is done using only the outer shell electrons, an easy task for the inert gases, which have always eight of them (except for He).
If we do the same thing for the halogens and the alkali metals, it is easy to see why they behave as they do.
The halogens have a "hole" which they can fill by accepting an electron and becoming a negative ion. The alkalis can just drop an electron, achieving a configuration like the next lowest inert gas and becoming a +1 ion. |
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This page was last modified on Fri, August 02, 2002 11:01 AM