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10th grade Valence electrons and electron dot diagrams for atoms worksheet

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Valence electrons and electron dot diagrams for atoms

Grade 10 Science Worksheet - Challenge Me

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Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. In CO, carbon has 4 valence electrons, 2 nonbonding and 6 shared in its triple bond. Formal charge = valence − nonbonding − shared ÷ 2. What is it, Ari?

  2. In N₂, each nitrogen has 5 valence electrons, 2 nonbonding and 6 shared in a triple bond. Formal charge = valence − nonbonding − shared ÷ 2. What is it, Bo?

  3. In ClO⁻, chlorine has 7 valence electrons, 6 nonbonding and 2 shared in a single bond. Formal charge = valence − nonbonding − shared ÷ 2. What is it, Esme?

  4. Jun draws ozone, O₃ (18 valence electrons), as O=O=O with two lone pairs on each end oxygen and none on the center. What is wrong?

    • It uses 20 electrons: one lone pair should be removed from each end oxygen atom here
    • It uses 16 electrons, not 18: one bond must become single so the center gets a lone pair
    • Nothing: double bonds on both sides are the way to give each oxygen a full octet of 8
  5. NO has 11 valence electrons. Why can't both atoms get a full octet, Kira?

    • A triple bond N≡O gives both atoms an octet with electrons to spare
    • Nitrogen's 5 and oxygen's 6 must add to 12, so one electron is missing
    • 11 is odd, so one electron stays unpaired and one atom has 7 electrons
  6. Phosphorus forms PCl₅, but nitrogen cannot form NCl₅. Why, Luz?

    • Phosphorus has more valence electrons than nitrogen does, so it bonds more
    • Phosphorus is in period 3 and can hold more than 8; nitrogen is limited to 8
    • Nitrogen has 5 valence electrons and chlorine 7, so 3 bonds can fit
  7. Read this first

    Successive ionization energies of element X (real data, CRC)

    electron removedenergy (kJ/mol)
    first738
    second1451
    third7733
    fourth10543
  8. Element X has the ionization energies in the table. Which group is it in, Noah?

    • Group 4: four energies are listed, so four electrons come off
    • Group 2: the big jump comes after the second electron
    • Group 1: the first energy is the smallest in the list
  9. A chloride ion (181 pm) is much bigger than a chlorine atom (99 pm). Why, Pia?

    • The ion has gained a proton, which pulls its outer shell farther outward
    • Both have 17 protons, but 18 electrons repel each other and spread out
    • The ion has gained a whole extra shell of electrons around its nucleus
  10. Iron forms both Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. Why can transition metals form more than one ion, Tala?

    • Their s and next-to-outer d electrons are close in energy, so they can lose 2 or 3
    • Iron has 3 valence electrons, so it can form just a 3+ ion
    • Iron has 2 valence electrons for 2+, and air supplies the extra electron for 3+ ions
  11. N₂ has 10 valence electrons. Which Lewis structure gives both nitrogen atoms an octet, Zee?

    • N–N with three lone pairs on each nitrogen: 2 + 12 = 14 electrons
    • N≡N with one lone pair on each nitrogen: 6 + 4 = 10 electrons
    • N=N with two lone pairs on each nitrogen: 4 + 8 = 12 electrons
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10th grade Valence electrons and electron dot diagrams for atoms worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Valence electrons and dot diagrams. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can find valence electrons from the group number (groups 1–2 and 13–18) and from a configuration.
  • I can draw dot diagrams, one dot per side before pairing, up to 8.
  • I can count the valence electrons in a small molecule.
  • I can predict the ion an atom forms to reach an octet.

Standard: HS-PS1-1

Words to know

valence electrons: The electrons in an atom's outer shell

dot diagram: The symbol with one dot for each valence electron

octet: A full outer shell of 8 electrons

core: The nucleus and inner electrons, shown by the symbol

group: A column; its elements share a valence count

Common mistakes

Your child added each element's valence electrons once, ignoring how many atoms the formula shows. A subscript means that many atoms.

Your child counted only the first element in the formula. Every element in the formula adds its electrons.

Your child left out the ion's charge. A negative charge adds electrons to the count, and a positive charge removes them.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with valence electrons and electron dot diagrams for atoms?

Your child added each element's valence electrons once, ignoring how many atoms the formula shows. A subscript means that many atoms.

Are these 10th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

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