GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Detailed explanation-1: -Any orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons with opposite spin. The first shell has one 1s orbital and holds 2 electrons. The second shell holds 8 electrons; 2 in a 2s orbital and 6 in three 2p orbitals. The third shell holds 18 electrons; 2 in a 3s orbital; 6 in three 3p orbitals; and 10 in five 3d orbitals.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -After the first energy level contains 2 electrons (helium), the next electrons go into the second energy level. After the second energy level has 8 electrons (neon), the next electrons go into the third energy level.

Detailed explanation-4: -For example, energy level I can hold a maximum of two electrons, and energy level II can hold a maximum of eight electrons. The maximum number depends on the number of orbitals at a given energy level. An orbital is a volume of space within an atom where an electron is most likely to be found.

Detailed explanation-5: -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.