Lone pair of electrons refers to a pair of unshared valence electrons.
They are also called unshared pairs or non-bonding pairs.
Lone pair of electrons are found in the outermost electron shell of atoms.
They can be identified by using a Lewis structure.
Table of Contents
Key Points- Lone Pair of Electrons
- Associated with one atom, and not part of a covalent bond.
- found in the outermost electron shell of atoms
- In the NH3 lewis structure, Nitrogen has two lone pairs of electrons.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many valence electrons does iron have?
Iron contains eight electrons in its valence shell. Because iron is a transition metal, electrons in its d subshells can be used as valence electrons. Valence electrons are electrons that exist outside of a noble-gas core in a transition metal. Iron has the electrical configuration 1s22s22p63s23p64s23d6.
Check the full article “How many valence electrons does iron have?”.
2. How many electrons does oxygen have?
A single oxygen atom has eight protons, eight electrons, and eight neutrons.
Oxygen is a stable isotope of oxygen with a nucleus of 8 neutrons and 8 protons. Its mass is 15.99491461956 u. Check full topic “How many electrons does oxygen have?”.