EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Explain that the second energy level can only have 8 electrons so the next electron in sodium has to be on the next (third) level. Explain that argon has 18 protons and 18 electrons.

Detailed explanation-2: -The second shell can hold 8 electrons. The third shell can hold 32 electrons. Within the shells, electrons are further grouped into subshells of four different types, identified as s, p, d, and f in order of increasing energy.

Detailed explanation-3: -The second shell has two subshells (labeled 2s and 2p). The 2s subshell holds a maximum of 2 electrons, and the 2p subshell holds a maximum of 6 electrons. This means that the second shell can hold a maximum of eight electrons (2+6=8).

Detailed explanation-4: -Therefore, the second level can contain a maximum of eight electrons-that is, two in the s orbital and 6 in the three p orbitals. Each principal energy level above the second contains, in addition to one s orbital and three p orbitals, a set of five d orbitals, called the d sublevel.

Detailed explanation-5: -If we ever do make it to Period 8, we will add a subshell of j, 30 more possible electrons, and a total of 128 electrons total.