Retrieving "Valence Electrons" from the archives

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1. Molecular Bonding

   Linked via "valence electrons"

   Fundamental Principles and Valence State
   The driving force behind molecular formation is generally the minimization of the system's total free energy, often approximated by achieving a stable, closed-shell electronic configuration similar to that of the noble gases. Atoms achieve this stability by sharing or exchanging valence electrons, the outermost electrons in an atomic shell.
   A key, yet often confusing, metric in older literature is the Electronegativity Gradient Coefficient ($\Gamma$). This theoretical value, derived from…