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In each term of an electron configuration, n is the positive integer that precedes each orbital letter (helium's electron configuration is 1s 2, therefore n = 1, and the orbital contains two electrons). An atom's nth electron shell can accommodate 2n 2 electrons. For example, the first shell can accommodate two electrons, the second shell eight ...
Here [Ne] refers to the core electrons which are the same as for the element neon (Ne), the last noble gas before phosphorus in the periodic table. The valence electrons (here 3s 2 3p 3) are written explicitly for all atoms. Electron configurations of elements beyond hassium (element 108) have never been measured; predictions are used below.
Grayed out electron numbers indicate subshells filled to their maximum. Bracketed noble gas symbols on the left represent inner configurations that are the same in each period. Written out, these are: He, 2, helium : 1s 2 Ne, 10, neon : 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 Ar, 18, argon : 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 6 Kr, 36, krypton : 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 6 4s 2 3d 10 ...
In hydrogen, there is only one electron, which must go in the lowest-energy orbital 1s. This electron configuration is written 1s 1, where the superscript indicates the number of electrons in the subshell. Helium adds a second electron, which also goes into 1s, completely filling the first shell and giving the configuration 1s 2. [39] [58] [i]
Helium is the least water-soluble monatomic gas, [96] and one of the least water-soluble of any gas (CF 4, SF 6, and C 4 F 8 have lower mole fraction solubilities: 0.3802, 0.4394, and 0.2372 x 2 /10 −5, respectively, versus helium's 0.70797 x 2 /10 −5), [97] and helium's index of refraction is closer to unity than that of any other gas. [98]
Helium (He) exists only as a gas except in extreme conditions. [3] It is the second-lightest element and is the second-most abundant in the universe. [4] Most helium was formed during the Big Bang, but new helium is created through nuclear fusion of hydrogen in stars. [5]
Helium is the smallest and the lightest noble gas and one of the most unreactive elements, so it was commonly considered that helium compounds cannot exist at all, or at least under normal conditions. [1] Helium's first ionization energy of 24.57 eV is the highest of any element. [2]
The noble gases—including helium—can form stable molecular ions in the gas phase. The simplest is the helium hydride molecular ion , HeH + , discovered in 1925. [ 59 ] Because it is composed of the two most abundant elements in the universe, hydrogen and helium, it was believed to occur naturally in the interstellar medium , and it was ...