How many electrons does helium have?
Understand the Problem
The question asks for the number of electrons in a helium atom. Since helium is a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals its atomic number.
Answer
Helium has 2 electrons.
A neutral helium atom has 2 electrons. This is because helium's atomic number is 2, which indicates the number of protons in the nucleus. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons.
Answer for screen readers
A neutral helium atom has 2 electrons. This is because helium's atomic number is 2, which indicates the number of protons in the nucleus. In a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons.
More Information
Helium is unique in that it only has 2 electrons which fill its only electron shell (the first shell).
Tips
A common mistake is confusing the number of electrons with the atomic mass. The atomic mass includes protons and neutrons, while the atomic number (and number of electrons in a neutral atom) only refers to the number of protons.
Sources
- How many electrons does helium have? - Socratic - socratic.org
- #2 - Helium - He - hobart.k12.in.us
- What is the number of electrons in helium? - Quora - quora.com
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