Question

An atom of argon contains 18 electrons. Describe how these electrons would be arranged. You may find

it helpful to draw a diagram.
Argon is a gas at 20°C (room temperature). Predict which state neon is at this temperature and give a
reason for your answer.

Answer 1

a. The electrons are configured in a 2-8-8 order with 8 valence electrons. There are three full shells.

b. Because Argon and Neon are in the same group, they have very similar properties, so we can guess they would be in the same state. Neon would be a gas.