Question

Name the following:

The combining capacity of an atom of an element

Answer 1

The combining capacity of an atom of an element is known as Valency.

• Valency of an element is equal to the number of electrons an atom can lose, gain or share during a chemical bond formation.
• It can be positive, negative, or even zero.
• Valency is negative for non-metals, which generally gain electrons during chemical bond formation.
• The valency of metals and hydrogen is always positive.
• While valency of noble gases like Helium, Neon, and Argon is zero because they are inert elements.