Well not really, you probably won't reply in time anyway.

Well, anyway, I have a question about electrons in an atom.

The Physical Science book says that atoms in a certain class or column have the same number of outer electrons. The way I understand it, electrons fill the energy fields starting from energy field one until it gets to the outermost energy field it can reach. The number of electrons that fill the outermost field is the number of outer electrons.

Now I have two questions.

1. Are there only 4 energy levels? If not, how do you obtain the max number of electrons in the next energy level?
2. This method works fine for the first three rows, but then the fourth row doesn't work. Potassium, through the method that I understand, has 9 outer electrons, as the energy level three contains a max of 18 electrons. Hydrogen, lithium, and sodium all have 1 outer electron, but shouldn't pottasium, rubidium, and the other elements in the first column also have 1 outer electron as well? What am I doing wrong?

my head just exploded from confusion

And you only just turned 14... dude...

I have physics but its not even near that, and I already do the highest thing possible for my age.
Iam somehow doubting alot of people can help you with this..

It's actually Chemistry and I think I got it. The book is kind of confusing.

I could answer you, but I need to know what level your studying chemistry at. Is it standard, intermediate or advanced, because aststandard and intermediate they teach the the wrong thing that makes it easier for you to learn the proper thing at a later stage. Its to do with valency, and different strength attractions between each shell layer, intermediate layer and the nucleus.

Edit: Hold on, Ill write the standard/intermediate explanation and post it up in a mo.

Edit 2: Zhou, can you tell me if your book talks about 2S, 2P, 3S 3P ect orbitals? That would make it easier lol

If it is talking about 2S orbitals ect, then the simple answer is that electrons do not stick to fixed shell orbits and can jump onto other S or P paths thus giving it a different exterior shell valency.

Its all in the book because that is were the teacher got the questions from

It's not even Chemistry. It's Physical Science. I probably don't need to learn that stuff right now. Maybe later when I take AP Chemistry.

Hmm ok, then the really simple answer is that the first shell always contains two electrons, and every other shell after it contains 8. The shells may continue ad-infinitum but the larger the shell (further from the nucleus) the weaker the attraction and so shorter the life of the molecule. The real limiting factor is the attraction between the nucleus and the electrons orbiting.

Edit: The periodic table is sorted by the number of electrons in the extreme outer shell. It varies between 1 to 8

Not sure if that helps, I still dont know what youve studied so far

low on blood sugar, im also so confused? phys science? or chemistry?

I'm in AP Chemistry this year so maybe I can help. I don't quite understand what you want to know. Are you talking valence electrons here or just how they fill the orbitals?

I'll assume you are talking about how they fill the orbitals.

An electron shell can hold 2(n^2) electrons where n is the shell level. So...

The first shell holds 2 electrons
The second holds 8 elctrons
The third holds 18
The fourth, 32
The fifth, 50 and so on. I think the highest level that is ever needed is the seventh but I could be mistaken. If this wasn't the middle of the summer I might be of more help.

I know what you are doing wrong. (In your question 2). The first row all has 1 VALENCE electron, not just one outer electron. Valence electrons go up to 8. Each row has one more, skipping the transition metals up to the noble gases, which have 8. The valence electron number is how many electrons the atom needs to have a full outer shell, which makes it stable. It is therefore a measure of the reactivity of the atom. You will notice the violently reactive elements in column 1 all need to lose 1 electron to be stableso they try and bond with everything.

Row 1 has 1 valence electron. Row 7 (starts with Flourine) has 7 valence electrons. That is why you get compounds like NaCl. Na (Sodium) has a valence number of 1. If it loses on electron it can be stable because then the row below has 8. Losing one is easier than gaining 7. Now, Chlorine (Cl) has a valence of 7, so if it gains 1 electron it becomes stable. So NaCl satisfies the "needs" of both elements.

I hope you understood that...if I remembered how to upload pics I would show you in better detail.

Anyway, let me know if your problems work out now.

-such a cool smiley

i know 1+1=11 but thats it :\

Newsboy is almost right.
There are more than just 4 outer levels but I've forgotten the others cuz I had Chemistry last year in 8th Grade.

1st shell holds 2
2nd shell holds 8
3rd shell holds 8
4th shell holds 18 and so on.

Since rubidium has 37 electrons you do the Math and you end up with 1 electron in the fifth outer shell. Obviously math must not be ur strongest subject, lol.

2+8+8+18= 36.

Since rubidium has 37 electrons, the remaining electron would go in the fifth outer shell.

And potassium has 19 electrons so 2+8+8= 18. so the remaining electron for potassium would go into the fourth shell.