The number of electrons in the outer shell of the most stable or inert atoms is

Options

A. 1
B. 4
C. 6
D. 8

Answer

To solve the question about the number of electrons in the outer shell of the most stable or inert atoms, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Group of Inert Atoms**:
- The most stable or inert atoms belong to **Group 18** of the periodic table. These are also known as noble gases.

2. **List the Noble Gases**:
- The elements in Group 18 include **Helium (He)**, **Neon (Ne)**, **Argon (Ar)**, **Krypton (Kr)**, **Xenon (Xe)**, and **Radon (Rn)**.

3. **Understand Electron Configuration**:
- The stability of these atoms is due to their electron configuration. They have either a **duplet** (2 electrons) or an **octet** (8 electrons) in their outer shell.
- **Helium** has 2 electrons in its outer shell (K shell).
- **Neon** has 8 electrons in its outer shell (L shell).
- **Argon** also has 8 electrons in its outer shell (M shell).

4. **Determine the Outer Shell Electrons**:
- For **Helium**, the outer shell has **2 electrons**.
- For **Neon**, **Argon**, and the other noble gases, the outer shell has **8 electrons**.

5. **Conclusion**:
- The most stable or inert atoms (noble gases) generally have **8 electrons** in their outer shell, except for Helium, which has **2 electrons**. However, when referring to the most stable configuration, we consider the octet rule, which applies to all noble gases except Helium.

6. **Final Answer**:
- Therefore, the number of electrons in the outer shell of the most stable or inert atoms is **8**.