Full configuration
1s² 2s² 2p⁶
In the short form, [He] stands for the 2 electrons of helium, the noble gas before neon. Only the electrons after it are written out.
Orbital diagram
1s↑↓
2s↑↓
2p↑↓↑↓↑↓
Outer subshells only. Each box is an orbital; electrons fill singly first (Hund's rule), then pair up with opposite spins.
What the configuration tells you
Neon is in group 18, period 2, in the p-block. It has a full outer shell, which is why it's so unreactive.
Nearby elements
| Z | Element | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Nitrogen | [He] 2s² 2p³ |
| 8 | Oxygen | [He] 2s² 2p⁴ |
| 9 | Fluorine | [He] 2s² 2p⁵ |
| 11 | Sodium | [Ne] 3s¹ |
| 12 | Magnesium | [Ne] 3s² |
| 13 | Aluminium | [Ne] 3s² 3p¹ |
Questions students ask
What is the electronic configuration of neon?
[He] 2s² 2p⁶, or in full, 1s² 2s² 2p⁶. Neon has atomic number 10.
How many electrons are in each shell of neon?
2, 8 (K, L, M, N… shells in order).
How many unpaired electrons does neon have?
0 in the ground state, so neon atoms are diamagnetic.