How many electrons are in the valence shell of iron?

Iron, or Fe, has 26 electrons, with two electrons in the outer valence shell. Iron is a transition metal and is both lustrous and easy to work with. Iron is also prone to rust, especially in damp environments.

Iron is a ferrous metal, meaning that it can be magnetized. Iron is found in hematite, magnetite, goethite, siderite and lepidocrocite and is usually found in Japan, South Africa, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Iron has an atomic radius of 1.72A, an atomic volume of 7.1 cubic cm/mole and has a cubic body centered crystalline structure. Iron prefers to ionize by losing two or three electrons, producing Fe2+ or Fe3+ as ions.