Metals consist of stacked layers of tightly packed, interacting atoms arranged in geometric patterns. Each of these atoms contains a small number of loosely held electrons in its outer shell. When ...

Water is essential for all chemistry and life, yet understanding how it interacts with dissolved ions—such as sodium and ...

The distribution of outermost shell electrons, known as valence electrons, of organic molecules was observed for the first time. As the interactions between atoms are governed by the valence electrons ...

Electrons in atoms occupy energy levels, also called electron shells, outside the nucleus. Different shells can hold different maximum numbers of electrons. The electrons in an atom occupy the lowest ...