The chemical properties of an element indicate how reactive the element is and what reactions is it likely to undergo. The chemical properties are a function of the valence electrons (the number of electrons in the outermost shell). The number of valence electrons can be determined by the electronic configuration of the element.
Thus, when we are given an element and asked to comment on its chemical properties, find the number of electrons in it and write its electronic configuration. The number of electrons in the outermost shell (the valence electrons) will dictate whether the atom will gain or lose electrons in order to have a fully filled electronic configuration. If the outermost shell is fully filled, the element will be inert (noble gases). If the number of valence electrons are 1 or 2, there is a high likelihood that the atom will lose them and become a cation.
Thus, we can determine the chemical properties of an element by knowing the number of valence electrons.
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