How many valence electrons are present in Cl – ion?

How many valence electrons are present in Cl ion?

0
8
7
1
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UPSC Geoscientist – 2021
Chlorine (Cl) has an atomic number of 17. Its electronic configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁵. The outermost shell (n=3) is the valence shell, which contains 2 + 5 = 7 valence electrons. The Cl⁻ ion is formed when a neutral chlorine atom gains one electron to achieve a stable octet configuration. The electronic configuration of Cl⁻ becomes 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶. The valence shell (n=3) now contains 2 + 6 = 8 electrons.
A neutral chlorine atom has 7 valence electrons. A chloride ion (Cl⁻) gains one electron to complete its valence shell, resulting in 8 valence electrons.
Ions tend to form by gaining or losing electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration, often a full valence shell (octet rule for many elements). Cl⁻ achieves a stable octet configuration in its valence shell.