Electrovalency

/ɪˌlɛktrəˈveɪlənsi/ noun

Definition

The measure of an element's ability to form ionic bonds by transferring electrons; the number of electrons lost or gained.

Etymology

From electrovalence + -y (alternative suffix form). A variant of electrovalence, both terms emerged as chemists formalized their understanding of ionic bonding in the 1880s-1900s.

Kelly Says

Electrovalency and electrovalence mean essentially the same thing—they're just two names for how many electrons an atom is willing to give up or grab to become stable, like a chemical handshake.

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