Question

Tell how each element below will fill its outer energy level and achieve a stable electron configuration in an ionic bond.

How will Gallium (Ga) achieve a stable electron configuration?

a.It will lose 1 valence electron.
b.It will lose 2 valence electrons.
c.It will lose 3 valence electrons.
d.It will gain 3 valence electrons.
e.It will gain 2 valence electrons.
f.It will gain 1 valence electron

Answer 1

The electron configuration of Gallium (Ga) is [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p1.

In order to achieve a stable electron configuration, Gallium needs to fill its outer energy level. The outer energy level of Gallium is the 4th energy level, which can hold a maximum of 8 electrons.

Since Gallium has 3 valence electrons in its outermost energy level, it can either gain or lose electrons to achieve a stable configuration.

By losing electrons, gallium can achieve a stable electron configuration:

a. It will lose 1 valence electron.
By losing 1 valence electron, its electron configuration will become [Ar] 3d10 4s2, which is the stable configuration of Argon.

By gaining electrons, gallium can achieve a stable electron configuration:

d. It will gain 3 valence electrons.
By gaining 3 valence electrons, its electron configuration will become [Ar] 3d10 4s2 4p6, which is the stable configuration of Krypton.

Therefore, the correct answer is: a. It will lose 1 valence electron.