Valence electrons participate in atomic bonding. These are the electrons that are present in the outermost shell of an atom. These electrons can be donated or shared for bonding, depending upon the type of bond the atom is making. There are two types of bonds: ionic bonds and covalent bonds. In the ionic bond, one species donates electrons, while the other gains them. In the case of covalent bonding, the valence electrons are shared among bonding species. For example, sodium chloride is formed by ionic bonding between sodium and chlorine. The sodium atom donates 1 valence electron, which is accepted by one chlorine atom. In the case of oxygen gas, 2 oxygen atoms share 2 valence electrons each, amongst themselves.
The easiest way to determine the number of valence electrons of an atom is by writing its electronic configuration. For example, the electronic configuration of nitrogen is 1s2, 2s2, 2p3. And thus, nitrogen gas has 3 valence electrons.
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