Is fluorine a metal or a nonmetal? how many valence electrons does a fluorine atom have?

The given element is non-metal and the number of valence electrons are 7

Explanation:

There are 2 types of elements in the periodic table:

Valence electrons are defined as the electrons which are present in the outermost shell of an atom. Outermost shell has the highest value of 'n' that is principal quantum number.

We are given:

Fluorine is the 9th element of the periodic table having electronic configuration of

This element will gain 1 electron to form ion

Number of valence electron in fluorine element = 2 + 5 = 7

Hence, the given element is non-metal and the number of valence electrons are 7

i think it's letter a.