The combining power of an atom based on the number of electrons it can gain or lose in forming ionic compounds.
From electro- + valence (from Latin valentia, strength). Coined in the late 19th century as chemists developed modern ionic bonding theory and the electron model of atoms.
Electrovalence reveals why atoms form the specific combinations they do—sodium eagerly gives away one electron while chlorine hungrily grabs it, creating a powerful ionic bond that makes table salt.
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