The noble gases, also known as the inert gases, are a group of elements that include helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn). These elements are characterized by having full valence electron shells, typically in the p orbital. The p orbital can hold up to six electrons, so noble gases have either two or eight valence electrons.
Noble gases, by definition, have completely filled valence electron shells and are considered stable. The filled valence shell provides a high level of stability and low reactivity, making them chemically inert. This stability arises from the fact that the filled electron shells satisfy the octet rule, which states that atoms tend to gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a configuration with eight valence electrons.
The f and d orbitals are typically associated with the transition metals and the lanthanides and actinides, respectively. These orbitals come into play when filling electron shells of elements beyond the noble gases in the periodic table.
If there were a hypothetical element beyond the noble gases with additional electrons, it would have to go beyond the p orbitals to accommodate those extra electrons. The f and d orbitals could come into play to fill the additional electron shells. However, it's important to note that elements with completely filled f or d orbitals are typically not considered noble gases because they have more than eight valence electrons. The noble gases are specifically defined by having complete valence electron shells, typically with two or eight electrons.
To summarize, noble gases have either two or eight valence electrons, typically occupying the p orbital. If there were an element beyond the noble gases with additional electrons, it would require filling orbitals beyond the p orbital, such as the f or d orbitals, to accommodate those extra electrons. However, elements with completely filled f or d orbitals are not considered noble gases due to having more than eight valence electrons.