Valency of Platinum (Pt)
Platinum shows variable valency — most commonly 2 and 4 — because it is a d-block element whose outer electrons can join bonding in more than one way.
Looking for Platinum'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 Platinum page is one click away.
Counting the valence electrons
From the configuration [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d⁹ 6s¹, Platinum's outermost shell carries 1 electron. For a d-block element the nearby inner "d" subshell can also lend electrons, which is where variable valency comes from.
Position check: Platinum belongs to group 10 of the periodic table, period 6.
Why Platinum has more than one valency
The common valencies are 2 and 4. Both the outer s electrons and the nearby (n−1)d electrons sit close in energy, so Platinum can offer different numbers of them in different compounds — giving ions such as Pt²⁺ and Pt⁴⁺ and families of compounds like PtX / Pt₄X₂.
Valency vs valence electrons
Valence electrons are what you count (1 for Platinum); valency is what the atom will do to complete its outer shell (2 and 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 Platinum from its group?
Platinum sits in group 10; for this transition group the safe exam answer is its common valency, 2 and 4.
Why does Platinum show variable valency?
Because both its outer shell and the nearby inner subshell can participate in bonding, Platinum forms more than one stable ion — hence valencies 2 and 4.