Question

Write the correct electronic configuration of Neon.

(a) 1s^22s^22p^6

(b) 1s^22s^2

(c) 1s^22p^6

(d) 2s^22p^6

This question was addressed to me in an internship interview.

This question is from Electronic Configurations of Elements and the Periodic Table in chapter Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties of Chemistry – Class 11

Answer 1

Correct answer is (a) 1s^22s^22p^6

To explain: Neon is made up of 10 electrons. As per Aufbau’s principle, orbitals with lower energy must be filled first and s-orbital can only accommodate 2 electrons while p can accommodate 6 electrons. So the electronic configuration of Neon is 1s^22s^22p^6.