Helium, a chemical element with the symbol He and also atomic number2, is a colorless, odorless, tasteless inert gas. That is the second lightest andabundant chemical varieties after hydrogen. It has the shortest boiling point amongthe facets in the routine table.

You are watching: How many valence electrons in helium

It is mostly found in a cost-free state and formed in large amountsduring the nuclear combination of hydrogen in stars. Helium is the only element thatcannot be solidified by adequate cooling at normal atmospheric temperatureand pressure. Around 23% of the mass of the world is constituted in the form ofhelium and mostly helium is started in the concentrated type inside stars.

You are here to know valence electrons and the valency ofhelium, aren’t you? But before that let"s have some ideas about what these termsare:

Difference between Valence Electrons and also Valency

Valence electrons room the total number of electrons presentin the outermost covering of one atom (i.e. In outermost orbital). The valenceelectrons for a neutral atom is always definite, it can not be varied (more orless) in any condition for a certain atom and may or may not be equal to itsvalency.


*

Valency is defined as the total variety of electrons one atomcan lose, gain, or share at the moment of bond formation to get a stableelectronic construction i.e. To complete an octet. The valency of one atom canbe change in various compounds or chemistry reactions due to the differentbonding circumstances. Most of the time valency varies/changes early to adjust inoxidation and reduction states.

Helium (He) Valence Electrons

There room four straightforward steps to discover out the valenceelectrons for helium atom i beg your pardon are:

Step 1: uncover the atomic Number


*

To find out the atomic variety of helium, we deserve to use theperiodic table. Through the aid of the regular table, us can easily see the theatomic number of helium is 2. Together its atom number is 2, it has actually two protons,and for neutral helium, the variety of protons is always equal to the number ofelectrons i.e. Have two-electron in your nucleus.

Step 2: write Electron Configuration


*

Electron construction is the setup of electrons onthe orbitals. The helium atom has only one electron ~ above its shell, we have actually toput only one electron in its orbital and that will go in the 1s orbital together the Sorbital deserve to hold a best of two electrons, and also is closer to the nucleus.

Helium electron configuration He (2) = 1s2 (completeconfiguration).

Step3: identify Valence Shell

As us know, the valence shell of one atom deserve to be found fromthe highest number of principle quantum numbers which is to express in the termof n, and in 1s2, the greatest value the n is 1 so that the valence shell of Heis 1s2.

Step 4: find Valence Electrons

The total variety of electrons present in the valence shellof one atom is dubbed valence electrons, and also there is just one electron presentin the valence covering of helium (1s2). Thus, helium has actually two valence electrons.

Valency of Helium (He)

There are numerous different means to uncover out the valency of atom which reflects the capability of one atom come bond with various other atoms. Valencedescribes how conveniently an atom or a complimentary radical can incorporate with other chemicalspecies. The valency of one atom is determined based on the variety of electronslost, gained, or mutual with another atom at the moment of bond formation.

An atom is claimed to it is in stable as soon as its outermost shells haveeight electron (except H & He). If the total variety of electrons inoutermost shells is in between one to four, the atom has actually positive valency and also ifelectrons are in between four come eight, the valency is calculation by subtractingfrom eight and also valency will certainly be zero. Atoms having four outermost electronspossess both positive and an adverse valency, and atoms having actually eight outermostelectrons, valency will certainly be zero (i.e. Noble gases).

Noble gases like helium have two valence electrons so itdoes not call for to shed or obtain electrons to complete its energy shell i.e. Stableduplet. So the they perform not have actually any tendency to integrate with other elementswhich makes the valency the helium zero.

We can additionally find the valency the helium with the assist of the periodictable. As helium belong to team 8A i beg your pardon are groups of noble gases havingvalency zero.

See more: Who Was Not A Ruler Of Spain At The End Of The Fifteenth Century? ?

Note: Helium is the just noble gas that has actually a complete dupletstate, the rest of all noble gases have complete octet states.