Neon (Ne)
Neon is element 10, a noble gas in group 18, period 2. A neutral atom has 10 protons, 10 neutrons and 10 electrons, 8 of them valence electrons.
Noble gas- Atomic number
- 10
- Atomic mass
- 20.18 u
- Valence electrons
- 8
- Protons · neutrons
- 10 · 10
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8
- At room temperature
- gas
Bohr model of neon
The Bohr model draws neon as a nucleus of 10 protons and 10 neutrons, with its 10 electrons on 2 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2. Press Build the atom to watch the shells fill from the inside out. The outer ring (the L shell) is dashed: the electrons there are the ones that take part in chemistry.
Real electrons don't travel in neat circles. They live in fuzzy orbitals, shown below, but the Bohr picture is the quickest way to count shells and valence electrons.
Electron configuration of neon
1s² 2s² 2p⁶
Short form (noble gas notation): [He] 2s² 2p⁶. The [He] stands for the electrons of helium, the noble gas before it.
How many valence electrons does neon have?
Neon has 8 valence electrons.
Neon is in group 18, and for groups 13–18 you subtract 10 from the group number: 18 − 10 = 8. A full outer shell of eight makes it a noble gas that rarely reacts.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 10 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 10 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 10 | mass number 20 − 10 protons |
Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). The count above uses the rounded atomic mass, the way it's taught in class.
Neon properties
| Symbol | Ne |
|---|---|
| Category | Noble gas |
| Group · period · block | 18 · 2 · p |
| Atomic mass | 20.18 u |
| State at 25 °C | gas |
| Melting point | 24.56 K (-249 °C, -415 °F) |
| Boiling point | 27.07 K (-246 °C, -411 °F) |
| Density | 9.00e-4 g/cm³ |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | — |
| Atomic radius | 154 pm |
| First ionization energy | 21.565 eV |
| Electron affinity | — |
| Oxidation states | 0 |
| Common ion charge | 0 |
| Discovered | 1898 by Morris Travers |
Where neon sits on the periodic table
Group 18: Helium, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, Radon, Oganesson.
Questions about neon
How many valence electrons does neon have?
Neon has 8 valence electrons.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does neon have?
A neutral neon atom has 10 protons and 10 electrons. Its most common form has about 10 neutrons (mass number 20 − 10 protons).
What is the electron configuration of neon?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶, written in short form as [He] 2s² 2p⁶.
What does the Bohr model of neon look like?
A nucleus of 10 protons and 10 neutrons, circled by 2 electron shells holding 2, 8 electrons.
What is the atomic number of neon?
10. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom neon.