Having a combining power or valence of two; capable of bonding with or replacing two univalent atoms.
From Latin 'bi-' (two) + 'valent' (having power/strength), from 'valere'. Entered English chemistry terminology in the 1800s to classify elements by their bonding capacity.
Magnesium and calcium are bivalent elements—they each carry exactly two positive charges in molecules, which determines how they react with other elements. This predictability is how we know what minerals will form in nature!
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