An iodine atom has seven valence electrons. Do you think it will lose seven electrons or gain one electron to obtain an octet in its outermost electron shell?

Answer 1

An iodine atom has seven valence electrons in its outer shell. To achieve an octet (8 electrons) in its outermost shell, iodine is more likely to gain one electron rather than lose seven. The loss of seven electrons would be energetically unfavorable and challenging for iodine, as it would require a significant amount of energy to remove those electrons. Instead, by gaining one electron, iodine can achieve a stable electron configuration resembling that of noble gases, which is a common behavior for nonmetals like iodine. Therefore, iodine typically gains one electron to complete its octet.