Lanthanide

Valency of Terbium (Tb)

Quick answer

The valency of Terbium is 4 — it has 2 valence electrons, and it shares all four to complete its outer shell.

Teachers call it "one fact, fully handled" — exactly what this page does for Terbium. 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 Terbium page is one click away.

Counting the valence electrons

From the configuration [Xe] 4f^9 6s^2, Terbium's outermost shell carries 2 electrons. For a f-block element the nearby inner "f" subshell can also lend electrons, which is where variable valency comes from.

Position check: Terbium belongs to the f-block of the periodic table, period 6.

Valency vs valence electrons

Valence electrons are what you count (2 for Terbium); valency is what the atom will do to complete its outer shell (4 here). Keep the two words straight and half the periodic-table chapter writes itself.

Students also ask

How do I find the valency of Terbium from its group?

As an f-block element Terbium is not assigned a group; examiners accept its common valency of 4.

Why does Terbium show a fixed valency?

Terbium has 2 valence electrons and reaches a complete outer shell in one consistent way, so its valency stays fixed at 4.