Question

What is the maximum number of electrons found in any shell of the known elements?

1) 2
2) 8
3) 18
4) 32

Answer 1

The maximum number of electrons in any shell of an atom is given by the formula 2n², where 'n' is the shell number. Based on this formula, the maximum number of electrons in any shell for known elements is 32.

Step-by-step explanation:

The maximum number of electrons that can be found in any shell of the known elements is determined by the formula 2n², where 'n' represents the principal quantum number or the shell number. This formula calculates the maximum number of electrons in the nth energy level or shell of an atom. For example, for the first shell (n = 1), the formula gives 2(1)2 = 2 electrons. For the second shell (n = 2), it gives 2(2)2 = 8 electrons. For the third shell (n = 3), the result is 2(3)2 = 18 electrons, and for the fourth shell (n = 4), the maximum would be 2(4)2 = 32 electrons. Therefore, the correct answer from the given options would be 32 electrons, which is the maximum number for any shell among the known elements.