Final answer:
The electron configuration for neon (Ne) is 1s²2s²2p⁶. Neon has a filled valence shell, characteristic of noble gases, making it stable and chemically inert. Noble gas configuration notation is used to simplify the electron configurations for elements that follow neon in the periodic table.
Step-by-step explanation:
The electron configuration for neon (Ne) is straightforward because neon is a noble gas with a complete valence shell. This means that all the energy levels in neon are filled to their typical capacity. The full electron configuration of neon is 1s²2s²2p⁶. In a neon atom, there are 10 electrons filling these orbitals. Specifically, the first two electrons are in the 1s orbital, the next two are in the 2s orbital, and the last six fill the 2p orbitals. Neon's filled valence shell makes it chemically inert and stable, a characteristic trait of noble gases.
When discussing elements beyond neon in the periodic table, such as sodium (Na), we often use the noble gas configuration to simplify the electron configuration notation. For example, the electron configuration of sodium is written as [Ne]3s¹. The [Ne] part signifies the core electron configuration identical to neon, and the 3s¹ indicates that sodium has an additional electron in the 3s orbital.