Valency of Barium (Ba)
The valency of Barium is 2 — it has 2 valence electrons, and it loses them to complete its outer shell.
Teachers call it "one fact, fully handled" — exactly what this page does for Barium. The answer sits at the top in bold; scroll for the working, the shell-by-shell breakdown and the two questions students ask most. Need the whole picture instead — history, characteristics, uses, exam questions? The full Barium page is one click away.
Counting the valence electrons
From the configuration [Xe] 6s^2, Barium's outermost shell carries 2 electrons. These are the electrons shown as dots in electron-dot diagrams — the hands Barium uses to hold other atoms.
Position check: Barium belongs to group 2 of the periodic table, period 6.
Valency vs valence electrons
Valence electrons are what you count (2 for Barium); 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 Barium from its group?
Barium sits in group 2; groups 1–2 metals have valency equal to the group number — 2 here.
Why does Barium show a fixed valency?
Barium has 2 valence electrons and reaches a complete outer shell in one consistent way, so its valency stays fixed at 2.