Answer the following question given this paragraph: The highest-numbered shell is the third shell, which has 2 electrons in the 3s subshell and 3 electrons in the 3p subshell. That gives a total of 5 electrons, so neutral phosphorus atoms have 5 valence electrons. The 10 remaining electrons, from the first and second shells, are core electrons. Q: How many valence electrons do neutral phosphorus atoms have? Choices: - nine - three - four - five A:
A:
five