The valence electrons (VE) are the electrons in the outer shell of an atom. The valence electrons are the ones involved in forming bonds to adjacent atoms. Therefore, the number of VE is important for determining the number of bonds an atom will form, the number of unpaired electrons, and an atomâs formal charge.
An exclamation point denotes something called a factorial. The formal definition of #n!# (n factorial) is the product of all the natural numbers less than or equal to #n#. In math symbols: #n! = n*(n-1)*(n-2)...#. Trust me, it's less confusing than it sounds. Say you wanted to find #5!#. You just multiply all the numbers less than or equal to #5# until you get to #1#: #5!
By Richard Nordquist. Definition: A number (such as 1, 2, or 3) used in counting to indicate quantity but not order. Though not all style guides agree, the general rule is that cardinal numbers one through nine are spelled out, numbers 10 and above are written in figures.y Richard Nordquist. Definition: A number (such as 1, 2, or 3) used in counting to indicate quantity but not order. Though not all style guides agree, the general rule is that cardinal numbers one through nine are spelled out, numbers 10 and above are written in figures.