how many covalent bonds does an atom need in order to fill its valence shell, using the periodic table?

Question

anonymous · Answer

the covalency of atoms tells about the covalent bond. And by following the octet rule they form covalent bonds.

aaronq · Answer

it depends on how many electrons the atom already has.

Most atoms need a total of 8 valence e, so if an atom had 6 valence e, it needs 2 covalent bonds, if it had 5 valence e, it needs 3 covalent bonds,  If the atom had 4 valence e, it needs 4 covalent bonds, etc.

anonymous · Answer

Thank you both! ^^

aaronq · Answer

no problem !