Simplify the following text for a Grade 10 native English-speaking person.
Original: In chemistry , valence electrons are the electrons of an atom that can participate in the formation of chemical bonds with other atoms . Valence electrons are the `` own '' electrons , present in the free neutral atom , that combine with valence electrons of other atoms to form chemical bonds .
Simplified: In chemistry , valence electrons are the electrons in the outside or valence electron shell of an atom .