Question: how many valence electrons should a neutral atom of a group 4a element have?
Answer: Group 4A elements have 2 valence electrons in an s orbital and 2 valence electrons in p orbitals. Group 5A elements have 2 valence electrons in an s orbital and 3 valence electrons in p orbitals. Group 6A elements have 2 valence electrons in an s orbital and 4 valence electrons in p orbitals.