10 Ne 20.18 How many electrons does a neon atom have in its first shell? 10 20
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
A neon atom (Ne) has an atomic number of 10, which means it contains 10 protons and 10 electrons.
Now, to determine how many electrons are in the first shell of a neon atom, we need to understand how electrons are arranged in different energy levels or shells around the nucleus. The shells are arranged according to the principles of electron configuration, which follows a specific pattern:
- The first shell (closest to the nucleus) can hold a maximum of 2 electrons.
- The second shell can hold up to 8 electrons.
- The third shell can hold up to 18 electrons, and so on.
For neon (Ne), the electron configuration would be:
- 1s² 2s² 2p⁶
This means:
- The first shell (1s) holds 2 electrons.
- The second shell (2s and 2p) holds 8 electrons.
Therefore, in the case of neon, the first shell holds 2 electrons.
Explanation of Electron Configuration:
- The first shell is filled first with 2 electrons because it is the closest shell to the nucleus, and the electrons in this shell experience the strongest pull from the protons in the nucleus.
- The second shell can hold more electrons, and in the case of neon, it holds 8 electrons (2 in the 2s orbital and 6 in the 2p orbital).
In summary, the first shell of a neon atom contains 2 electrons. This is consistent with the general rule that the first shell can only hold a maximum of 2 electrons, and the second shell starts to fill after the first shell is full.
