Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom that participate in chemical bonding. They determine the reactivity and chemical properties of an element.
Electron configuration: The arrangement of electrons within an atom's energy levels and sublevels.
Lewis dot structure: A diagram that represents the valence electrons of an atom using dots around its symbol.
Octet rule: The tendency for atoms to gain, lose, or share electrons in order to achieve a stable electron configuration with eight valence electrons.
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