Question
How to determine the valence of aluminium
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GPT-4o mini
Aluminium (Al) has a valence of +3. This is determined by its electron configuration and its position in the periodic table.
1. **Electron Configuration**: Aluminium has the atomic number 13, meaning it has 13 electrons. Its electron configuration is \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^1\). This shows that aluminium has three electrons in its outermost shell (the third shell: 3s² 3p¹).
2. **Valence Electrons**: The valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell that are involved in bonding. For aluminium, there are three valence electrons (two in the 3s subshell and one in the 3p subshell).
3. **Common Oxidation State**: In chemical reactions, aluminium typically loses these three valence electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration, resembling that of the nearest noble gas (neon). When it loses three electrons, it forms a cation with a charge of +3, making the common oxidation state of aluminium +3.
4. **Chemical Compounds**: In compounds, aluminium typically exhibits this +3 oxidation state, such as in aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) and aluminium chloride (AlCl₃).
Therefore, you can conclude that the valence of aluminium is +3.
1. **Electron Configuration**: Aluminium has the atomic number 13, meaning it has 13 electrons. Its electron configuration is \(1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^1\). This shows that aluminium has three electrons in its outermost shell (the third shell: 3s² 3p¹).
2. **Valence Electrons**: The valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell that are involved in bonding. For aluminium, there are three valence electrons (two in the 3s subshell and one in the 3p subshell).
3. **Common Oxidation State**: In chemical reactions, aluminium typically loses these three valence electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration, resembling that of the nearest noble gas (neon). When it loses three electrons, it forms a cation with a charge of +3, making the common oxidation state of aluminium +3.
4. **Chemical Compounds**: In compounds, aluminium typically exhibits this +3 oxidation state, such as in aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) and aluminium chloride (AlCl₃).
Therefore, you can conclude that the valence of aluminium is +3.