What characteristic of an element determines how its atoms can bond with other atoms?
its number of valence electrons
how many low-energy-level electrons it has
how many protons and neutrons it has
its total number of electrons
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The characteristic of an element that determines how its atoms can bond with other atoms is its number of valence electrons. Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom, and they are involved in the formation of chemical bonds. The number of valence electrons determines the overall reactivity and bonding behavior of an element.
1 answer