If core electrons completely shielded valence electrons from nuclear charge (i.e., if each core electron reduced nuclear charge by 1 unit) and if valence electrons did not shield one another from nuclear charge at all, what would be the effective nuclear charge experienced by the valence electrons of each atom? c. O d. C

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the atomic number of Oxygen (O), which represents the total number of protons in the nucleus.
2. Determine the number of core electrons in Oxygen. Core electrons are those in the inner shells, not involved in bonding or chemical reactions.
3. Calculate the effective nuclear charge (Z_eff) using the formula: Z_eff = Z - S, where Z is the atomic number and S is the number of core electrons. In this scenario, each core electron completely shields one unit of nuclear charge.
4. Assume that valence electrons do not shield each other from the nuclear charge. This means that the shielding constant for valence electrons is zero in this calculation.
5. Using the values obtained from the above steps, compute the effective nuclear charge experienced by the valence electrons of Oxygen.

Key Concepts

Effective Nuclear Charge (Z_eff)

Effective nuclear charge (Z_eff) is the net positive charge experienced by valence electrons in an atom. It accounts for the actual nuclear charge (the number of protons) minus the shielding effect of core electrons. This concept is crucial for understanding how strongly valence electrons are attracted to the nucleus, influencing atomic size and ionization energy.

Shielding Effect

The shielding effect refers to the phenomenon where inner (core) electrons reduce the full nuclear charge felt by outer (valence) electrons. Each core electron can effectively 'block' some of the positive charge from the nucleus, leading to a lower Z_eff for valence electrons. This concept is essential for predicting trends in atomic properties across the periodic table.

Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons of an atom and are primarily responsible for chemical bonding and reactivity. In the context of effective nuclear charge, understanding how many valence electrons an atom has and how they interact with core electrons is vital for predicting the atom's behavior in chemical reactions and its overall stability.