valence electrons are electrons found in the outer shell of an atom. these are electrons that participate in CHEMICAL BONDING. an atom will either give up its valence electrons, gain valence electrons from another atom, or share valence electrons with another atom.
these are the only types of electrons that participate in chemical bonding - since they live in the outer most shell of an electron. no other electrons in an atom can bond. that's why these electrons have their own name.
an atom will do whatever it can to reach its full octet of valence electrons. that that means is that an atom is most stable when it has 8 electrons in its outer shell (it's the most stable and strong that way); hence the name OCTET.
A valence electron is an outer shell electron that is associated with an atom, and that can participate in the formation of a chemical bond if the outer shell is not closed; in a single covalent bond, both atoms in the bond contribute one valence electron in order to form a shared pair. For neutral atoms, the number of valence electrons is equal to the atom's main group number.
Arable land was plentiful and the soil was fertile. The excellent natural harbors helped the middle colonies become traders among the colonies. Due in part to immigration from foreign (Mainland Europe) countries, the people were ethnically and religiously diverse.
