Question

State the electronic configuration for neon (p = 10, n = 10).

Answer 1

Electronic configuration

The electron configuration of an element describes how electrons are distributed in its atomic orbitals.

Writing electronic configuration

• The maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated in a shell is based on the principal quantum number (n). It is represented by the formula $2{\mathrm{n}}^2$, where ‘n’ is the shell number, i.e.$\mathrm{n}=1,2,3,4\dots .$
• The subshells into which electrons are distributed are based on the azimuthal quantum number (denoted by ‘l’).
• This quantum number is dependent on the value of the principal quantum number, n. Therefore, when n has a value of 4, four different subshells are possible.
• When $\mathrm{n}=4$. The subshells correspond to$\mathrm{l}=0,\mathrm{l}=1,\mathrm{l}=2,\mathrm{and}\mathrm{l}=3$and are named the $\mathrm{s},\mathrm{p},\mathrm{d},\mathrm{and}\mathrm{f}$subshells, respectively.
• The maximum number of electrons that can be accommodated by a subshell is given by the formula $2\times (2\mathrm{l}+1).$
• Therefore, the s, p, d, and f subshells can accommodate a maximum of 2, 6, 10, and 14 electrons, respectively.

Electronic configuration of neon

On applying all the rules, the electronic configuration of Neon is given as: $1{\mathrm{s}}^{2}2{\mathrm{s}}^{2}2{\mathrm{p}}^6$.