Valency of Zinc (Zn)
The valency of Zinc is 2 — it has 2 valence electrons, and it loses them to complete its outer shell.
Looking for Zinc's valency without wading through a whole chapter? Here is the direct answer first, then the tables and derivations examiners want to see. Every number on this page comes from the same engine that powers the interactive table. Need the whole picture instead — history, characteristics, uses, exam questions? The full Zinc page is one click away.
Counting the valence electrons
From the configuration [Ar] 3d^10 4s^2, Zinc's outermost shell carries 2 electrons. For a d-block element the nearby inner "d" subshell can also lend electrons, which is where variable valency comes from.
Position check: Zinc belongs to group 12 of the periodic table, period 4.
Valency vs valence electrons
Valence electrons are what you count (2 for Zinc); valency is what the atom will do to complete its outer shell (2 here). Keep the two words straight and half the periodic-table chapter writes itself.
Students also ask
How do I find the valency of Zinc from its group?
Zinc sits in group 12; for this transition group the safe exam answer is its common valency, 2.
Why does Zinc show a fixed valency?
Zinc has 2 valence electrons and reaches a complete outer shell in one consistent way, so its valency stays fixed at 2.