Valency is the combining power of an element. Elements in the same group of the periodic table have the same valency. The valency of an element is related to how many electrons are in the outer shell.

What is the combining power of oxygen?

Every element has a definite capacity to combine with other elements. The combining capacity of an element is called its valency.” In normal course, hydrogen has 1, oxygen has 2, nitrogen has 3 and carbon has 4 valency. This will depend upon the nature of the element.

What does combining capacity mean?

The combining capacity of an atom is its ability to make bonds with other elements. It is also known as valency or valence. The number of valence electrons of an atom gives us an idea of the combining capacity.