Definitions
- Valency is the combining power of an element. It is governed by the number of electrons in the outermost electronic shell of the atoms of that element.
- Valence, also known as valency or valency number, is a measure of the number of chemical bonds formed by the atoms of a given element.
- Valency is the numerical value of the charge on an ion (cation or anion), describing the number of bonds which can be formed by the ion.
Some Examples
Element | Valency |
Hydrogen | 1 |
Chlorine | 1 |
Copper | 1, 2 |
Calcium | 2 |
Oxygen | 2 |
Iron | 2, 3 |
Tin | 2, 4 |
Nitrogen | 3 |
Phosphorus | 3, 5 |
Carbon | 4 |
Sulfur | 4, 6 |