Stop 1: determine how many __ electrons you have in TOTAL. valence inner total

## Step 1<br />The problem is asking for the total number of electrons in an atom. In an atom, electrons are arranged in shells or energy levels around the nucleus. The electrons in the outermost shell are called valence electrons, while those in the inner shells are called inner electrons.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />The total number of electrons in an atom is equal to the atomic number of the element. This is because an atom is electrically neutral, meaning the number of protons (which are positively charged) in the nucleus is equal to the number of electrons (which are negatively charged).<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in its nucleus. For example, the atomic number of hydrogen is 1, which means there is 1 proton in the nucleus. Therefore, there are also 1 electron in the atom.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />Similarly, the atomic number of helium is 2, which means there are 2 protons in the nucleus. Therefore, there are also 2 electrons in the atom.<br /><br />## Step 5<br />This pattern continues for all elements. The total number of electrons in an atom is equal to the atomic number of the element.