To determine the total number of valence electrons in a molecule, we need to count the valence electrons contributed by each atom and consider any charges or additional electrons.
In the CH3CH2Cl molecule, we have:
- Carbon (C) contributes 4 valence electrons.
- Hydrogen (H) contributes 1 valence electron each.
- Chlorine (Cl) contributes 7 valence electrons.
Since we have two carbon atoms (C), three hydrogen atoms (H), and one chlorine atom (Cl), we can calculate the total number of valence electrons as follows:
2 (carbon atoms) * 4 (valence electrons per carbon atom) + 3 (hydrogen atoms) * 1 (valence electron per hydrogen atom) + 1 (chlorine atom) * 7 (valence electrons per chlorine atom) = 8 + 3 + 7 = 18
Therefore, the CH3CH2Cl molecule has a total of 18 valence electrons.