how many valence electrons does aluminum have

Aluminum has 3 valence electrons.

Quick Scoop

Aluminum (Al), atomic number 13, sits in group 13 of the periodic table, which means it has three electrons in its outermost (valence) shell.

Its electron configuration is 1s22s22p63s23p11s^22s^22p^63s^23p^11s22s22p63s23p1, so the outer shell (the 3s and 3p orbitals) contains 3 electrons.

Those 3 valence electrons are the ones aluminum tends to lose when it forms compounds, which is why it commonly forms an Al³⁺ ion.

TL;DR: How many valence electrons does aluminum have?
→ Aluminum has 3 valence electrons.

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