Question map
Number of electrons present in the species H2, He, H2 and O2 respectively are :
Explanation
The number of electrons in a species is determined by its atomic number and molecular composition. A neutral hydrogen atom has an atomic number of 1, meaning it contains one electron [1]. Consequently, a hydrogen molecule (H2) consists of two hydrogen atoms sharing electrons, resulting in a total of 2 electrons [1]. Helium (He) is a noble gas with an atomic number of 2, thus a single helium atom contains 2 electrons in its filled K shell [2]. Oxygen (O) has an atomic number of 8, meaning a neutral oxygen atom has 8 electrons. Therefore, a diatomic oxygen molecule (O2) contains a total of 16 electrons (8 x 2). Based on these calculations, the number of electrons for H2, He, H2 (repeated in query), and O2 are 2, 2, 2, and 16 respectively, which corresponds to option 3.
Sources
- [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > 4.1 BONDING IN CARBON – THE COVALENT BOND > p. 59
- [2] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: Carbon and its Compounds > 4.1 BONDING IN CARBON – THE COVALENT BOND > p. 60