The number of electrons in the outermost shell of the atom of a non-metal can be :
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:48 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(c) 5, 6 or 7
Non-metals gain electrons to complete their octet. From Table 3.3, non-metals like Nitrogen (5), Oxygen (6), Fluorine/Chlorine (7) have 5, 6, or 7 electrons in their outermost shell.
Source: Chapter 3, Section 3.3
Explanation
- Non-metals need to gain electrons to attain a stable octet, so they already have close to 8 electrons in their valence shell (5, 6, or 7).
- Option (d) is a trap — 8 electrons in the outermost shell means the atom is already a noble gas (completely stable), not a non-metal.
- Option (a)/(b) describes metals or semi-metals (1–3 or 3 electrons → tendency to lose electrons).
- Always link the answer to examples from the table: N=5, O=6, F/Cl=7.