Noble gases, also known as Group 18 elements or inert gases, are characterized by their stable electronic configurations. They have complete outer electron shells, which makes them highly stable and less likely to form chemical bonds with other elements.
The number of electrons in noble gases depends on their position in the periodic table:
- Helium (He) has 2 electrons.
- Neon (Ne) has 10 electrons.
- Argon (Ar) has 18 electrons.
- Krypton (Kr) has 36 electrons.
- Xenon (Xe) has 54 electrons.
- Radon (Rn) has 86 electrons.
All noble gases have completely filled outer electron shells, which consist of either 2 or 8 electrons (except for helium, which has only one shell). This electron configuration makes noble gases highly stable and unreactive under normal conditions.