short asnwer:
here are 8 elements in period 2 because all those elements have electrons in the second shell and no electrons in the third shell.
Step-by-step explanation:
There are certain rules for arranging atoms in shells 1) Maximum number of electrons in a shell is given by the formula 2n^2. 2) The outermost ( valence) shell can accomodate only 8 electrons.