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Possible definitions for valency

valence
Number of bonds (see bonding) an atom can form. Hydrogen (H) always has valence 1, so other elements' valences equal the number of hydrogen atoms they combine with. Thus, oxygen (O) has valence 2, as in water (H2O); nitrogen (N) has valence 3, as in ammonia (NH3); and chlorine (Cl) has valence 1, as in hydrochloric acid (HCl). The valence depends on the number of unpaired electrons in the outermost (and, in transition elements, the next) shell of the atom's structure. The sharing of the unpaired (valence) electrons in a bond mimics the stable configuration of the noble gases, whose outer shells are full. Elements that can achieve stable configurations by various combinations have more than one valence.


Valencia
City (metro. area pop., 1996 est.: 747,000), capital of the autonomous community of Valencia, E Spain. First mentioned as a Roman settlement in 138 BC, it was later taken by the Visigoths in AD 413 and the Moors in 714. It became the seat of the newly established independent Moorish kingdom of Valencia in 1021. After 1238 it was part of the dominions of the Aragons. The first Spanish printing press was established there in 1474; during the next two centuries the city was the seat of the Valencian school of painting. It was severely damaged in the Peninsular War, during the Spanish Civil War, and by flood in 1957. Its port ships agricultural produce and manufactured items.

Autonomous community (pop., 1996 est.: 4,009,000), E Spain. Encompassing the provinces of Alicante, Castelló n, and Valencia, it covers 8,998 sq mi (23,305 sq km); its capital is the city of Valencia. A generally mountainous region with salt lagoons on the coast, the area was conquered successively by Romans, Visigoths, and Moors. Part of the caliphate of Cordoba (11th cent.), it subsequently became an independent Moorish kingdom. It was held by the Spanish commander El Cid 1094-99; after his death it again was lost to the Moors, until King James I of Aragon took it in 1238. One of the richest farming regions in the Mediterranean basin, it produces oranges, rice, grapes, and olives; it also has many manufacturing facilities.

City (pop., 1992 est.: 1,034,000), NW Venezuela. It is located near the W shore of Lake Valencia. Founded in 1555, it rivaled Caracas as the region's major city well into the 19th cent. In 1814, during the struggle for Venezuela's independence, it was the site of a bloody battle between Spanish and opposition forces. It served as national capital in 1812, 1830, and 1858. One of Venezuela's principal industrial and transportation centers, it produces textiles, pharmaceuticals, and automobiles.


agency
In law, a relationship in which one party (the agent) acts on behalf of and under the control of another (the principal) in dealing with third parties. It has its roots in ancient servant-master relations. Agency becomes a legal issue when the agent injures or wrongs a third party. In ...

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