How many valence electrons does a sulfur (S) atom have?The Periodic TableA.16B.3C.32D.6

Break Down the Problem

1. Identify the atomic number of sulfur.
2. Determine the electronic configuration of sulfur.
3. Count the number of valence electrons from the electronic configuration.

Relevant Concepts

• The atomic number of an element indicates the number of protons and, in a neutral atom, also the number of electrons.
• Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom.

Analysis and Detail

1. Sulfur has an atomic number of 16.
2. The electronic configuration of sulfur is: $1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^6 \, 3s^2 \, 3p^4$
3. The outermost shell (n=3) contains:
   • 2 electrons in the 3s subshell.
   • 4 electrons in the 3p subshell.

Therefore, the total number of valence electrons for sulfur is: $2 (from \, 3s) + 4 (from \, 3p) = 6$

Verify and Summarize

• The calculations are verified to correctly represent the distribution of electrons in sulfur, confirming the total of 6 valence electrons.

Final Answer

Sulfur (S) has 6 valence electrons. Therefore, the correct answer is D. 6.