All alkaline earth metals have two valence electrons.
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This description matches the element calcium (Ca), which is hard and dense, has a high melting and boiling point, is fairly reactive, and has two electrons in its outermost orbit. Calcium typically forms 2+ cations when it reacts with other elements.
An atom is stable when its outermost orbit, or valence shell, is complete with the maximum number of electrons it can hold according to the octet rule. This typically means having eight electrons for most elements, except for hydrogen and helium which only need two electrons in their outer shell to be stable.
Two electrons are in the external shell of vanadium.
There are 2 electrons in the outermost shell of strontium. Strontium has an electron configuration of [Kr] 5s^2, indicating that it has two electrons in its outermost shell.
Helium only needs two electrons to have a filled outermost energy level.