How many valence electrons are present in a neutral atom of neon?

• A. 8
• B. 10
• C. 2
• D. 6

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the element in question, which is neon (Ne). Neon is a noble gas with atomic number 10.
2. Recall that the atomic number represents the total number of electrons in a neutral atom. Therefore, neon has 10 electrons.
3. Determine the electron configuration of neon to find how these electrons are distributed among the shells. The electron configuration of neon is \$1s^2 2s^2 2p^6$.
4. Recognize that valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost shell. For neon, the outermost shell is the second shell, which contains the \$2s^2\( and \)2p^6$ electrons.
5. Add the electrons in the outermost shell: \$2\( (from \)2s^2\() plus \)6\( (from \)2p^6\(), giving a total of \)8$ valence electrons.