valence, in chemistry

valence, combining capacity of an atom expressed as the number of single bonds the atom can form or the number of electrons an element gives up or accepts when reacting to form a compound. Atoms are called monovalent, divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent, according to whether they form one, two, three, or four bonds (see chemical bond).

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Valence Number
• The Relationship of Electrons and Valence

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