4. Zinc phosphide Zn_(3)P_(2) is often used as a rat poison. Phosphorus has 5 valence electrons How many valence electrons does each zinc atom lose? O1 2 3 4

## Step 1Zinc Phosphide, denoted as , is a compound formed by the combination of Zinc and Phosphorus. Phosphorus has a valence of 5, meaning it has 5 valence electrons, and it needs 3 more electrons to achieve a stable configuration.## Step 2Zinc has a valence of 2, meaning it needs to lose 2 electrons to achieve a stable configuration.## Step 3Since Zinc Phosphide (Zn3P2) is made of 3 Zinc atoms and 2 Phosphorus atoms, the 2 Phosphorus atoms will require a total of 6 valence electrons.## Step 4Given that there are 3 Zinc atoms, with each having a valence of 2, each Zinc atom has to lose only its 2 valence electrons to satisfy one Phosphorus atom.