Neon has the atomic number 10.Determine the electron configuration of a neutral neon atom.

Sure, let's determine the electron configuration of a neutral neon atom step by step.

1. Identify the atomic number: Neon has an atomic number of 10. This means a neutral neon atom has 10 electrons.

2. Understand the order of electron filling: Electrons fill orbitals in a specific order based on their energy levels. The order is as follows:

   • 1s
   • 2s
   • 2p
   • 3s
   • 3p
   • 4s
   • 3d
   • 4p
   • 5s
   • 4d
   • 5p
   • 6s
   • 4f
   • 5d
   • 6p
   • 7s
   • 5f
   • 6d
   • 7p

3. Fill the orbitals with electrons:

   • The 1s orbital can hold up to 2 electrons.
   • The 2s orbital can hold up to 2 electrons.
   • The 2p orbital can hold up to 6 electrons.

4. Assign electrons to orbitals:

   • 1s²: The first 2 electrons go into the 1s orbital.
   • 2s²: The next 2 electrons go into the 2s orbital.
   • 2p⁶: The remaining 6 electrons go into the 2p orbital.

5. Write the electron configuration: Combine the filled orbitals to get the electron configuration.

The electron configuration of a neutral neon atom is: $1s^2 \, 2s^2 \, 2p^6$