What Is Valence or Valency in Chemistry

The words valence and valency have two related meanings in chemistry. Valence describes how easily an atom or radical can combine with other chemical species. This is determined based on the number of electrons that would be added, lost, or shared if it reacts with other atoms. Valence is denoted using a positive or negative integer used to represent this binding capacity. For example, common valences of copper are 1 and 2. Table of Element Valences Number Element Valence 1 Hydrogen (-1), +1 2 Helium 0 3 Lithium +1 4 Beryllium +2 5 Boron -3, +3 6 Carbon (+2), +4 7 Nitrogen -3, -2, -1, (+1), +2, +3, +4, +5 8 Oxygen -2 9 Fluorine -1, (+1) 10 Neon 0 11 Sodium +1 12 Magnesium +2 13 Aluminum +3 14 Silicon -4, (+2), +4 15 Phosphorus -3, +1, +3, +5 16 Sulfur -2, +2, +4, +6 17 Chlorine -1, +1, (+2), +3, (+4), +5, +7 18 Argon 0 19 Potassium +1 20 Calcium +2 21 Scandium +3 22 Titanium +2, +3, +4 23 Vanadium +2, +3, +4, +5 24 Chromium +2, +3, +6 25 Manganese +2, (+3), +4, (+6), +7 26 Iron +2, +3, (+4), (+6) 27 Cobalt +2, +3, (+4) 28 Nickel (+1), +2, (+3), (+4) 29 Copper +1, +2, (+3) 30 Zinc +2 31 Gallium (+2). +3 32 Germanium -4, +2, +4 33 Arsenic -3, (+2), +3, +5 34 Selenium -2, (+2), +4, +6 35 Bromine -1, +1, (+3), (+4), +5 36 Krypton 0 37 Rubidium +1 38 Strontium +2 39 Yttrium +3 40 Zirconium (+2), (+3), +4 41 Niobium (+2), +3, (+4), +5 42 Molybdenum (+2), +3, (+4), (+5), +6 43 Technetium +6 44 Ruthenium (+2), +3, +4, (+6), (+7), +8 45 Rhodium (+2), (+3), +4, (+6) 46 Palladium +2, +4, (+6) 47 Silver +1, (+2), (+3) 48 Cadmium (+1), +2 49 Indium (+1), (+2), +3 50 Tin +2, +4 51 Antimony -3, +3, (+4), +5 52 Tellurium -2, (+2), +4, +6 53 Iodine -1, +1, (+3), (+4), +5, +7 54 Xenon 0 55 Cesium +1 56 Barium +2 57 Lanthanum +3 58 Cerium +3, +4 59 Praseodymium +3 60 Neodymium +3, +4 61 Promethium +3 62 Samarium (+2), +3 63 Europium (+2), +3 64 Gadolinium +3 65 Terbium +3, +4 66 Dysprosium +3 67 Holmium +3 68 Erbium +3 69 Thulium (+2), +3 70 Ytterbium (+2), +3 71 Lutetium +3 72 Hafnium +4 73 Tantalum (+3), (+4), +5 74 Tungsten (+2), (+3), (+4), (+5), +6 75 Rhenium (-1), (+1), +2, (+3), +4, (+5), +6, +7 76 Osmium (+2), +3, +4, +6, +8 77 Iridium (+1), (+2), +3, +4, +6 78 Platinum (+1), +2, (+3), +4, +6 79 Gold +1, (+2), +3 80 Mercury +1, +2 81 Thallium +1, (+2), +3 82 Lead +2, +4 83 Bismuth (-3), (+2), +3, (+4), (+5) 84 Polonium (-2), +2, +4, (+6) 85 Astatine ? 86 Radon 0 87 Francium ? 88 Radium +2 89 Actinium +3 90 Thorium +4 91 Protactinium +5 92 Uranium (+2), +3, +4, (+5), +6