Electron Configuration of Neon (Ne)

What is the electron configuration of Neon?

The electron configuration of Neon (Ne, Z=10) is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶. In noble gas shorthand: [He] 2s² 2p⁶. It has 0 unpaired electron(s) and is a p-block element.

SymbolNe
Atomic Number10
Full Electron Configuration1s² 2s² 2p⁶
Noble Gas Shorthand[He] 2s² 2p⁶
Blockp
Period2
Group18
Unpaired Electrons0
Exception?No

Orbital Filling Order

Following the aufbau principle, the 10 electrons in Neon fill orbitals in order of increasing energy: 1s (2 electrons), then 2s (2 electrons), then 2p (6 electrons).

Each orbital is filled according to the Pauli exclusion principle (at most 2 electrons per orbital) and Hund's rule (electrons occupy degenerate orbitals singly before pairing).

Noble Gas Shorthand

The inner electrons of Neon match the configuration of He. This allows us to abbreviate the configuration as [He] 2s² 2p⁶, where [He] represents the filled core and the remaining entries show the valence electrons.

Valence Electrons

The valence shell of Neon contains 2 electrons in the 2s subshell and 6 electrons in the 2p subshell. These outermost electrons determine Neon's chemical reactivity, bonding behavior, and position in the periodic table as a p-block element in period 2.

Visualize orbital filling with 3D orbital shapes, aufbau principle, and noble gas shorthand for 36 elements.

Explore Neon in the Electron Configuration Explorer

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