Gold nugget
(credit: pbkwee, cc-by, via flickr)
Gold (Au) is a d-block element and has 1 valence electron (sometimes 3 or even 11 depending on how “valence electron is defined.)
Unlike s-block and p-block elements, you can’t assume the number of valence electrons of d-block elements by counting from left to right. If you follow the periodic table from left to right, gold would have 11 valence electrons.
However Gold most often has chemical reactions with 1 or 3 valence electrons. Reactions with three valence electrons would be marked as gold(III.) If the formula doesn’t connote the usage of gold(III), then gold with one valence electron could be considered.
