Why can Period 1 contain a maximum of two elements?

Answer 1

Why all the writing?

The first energy level can hold a maximum of two electrons. All but H and He have more than two electrons.

Get an "A".

Answer 2

Period one only involved the S electron subshell (actually called the Orbital but subshell is easier to say). The next few involve both S and P, then the transition metals take on S, P, and D, then S, P, D, and F in the lachnoids and achnoids, or whatever they are exactly. The S subshell only holds 2 electrons. The P holds 6, but with a combination holds 8. D holds 10, plus 8 is 18, count across, starting to see a pattern yet? If not, look at the bottom two periods and put them where they belong. Then count across. 18 + 14 and that's the aswer because the F subshell holds 14 electrons. Look up Elecron Orbitals.

Answer 3

Well, its because of the electrons orbiting the nucleus. In the first orbital its an S orbital. It only has enough room to hold 2 electrons. So as it progress it out to period 2, it can have a S and a P orbital. The S can hold 2 and the P can hold 6 so that gives you a total of 8 electrons so it has 8 elements. Since an element is defined by how many electrons and protons it has.

I guess you can think of it like the solar system, since the inner most orbital has a smaller circumference than the ones further out it can only hold 2.

Answer 4

There is only one electron shell. n=1...which means that there is one layer of electrons...Hydrogen has one, and Helium has 2...when an element gets 3 or more, the other electrons are forced into new shells...n=2, n=3...etc. Keep in mind that in each n shell there are subshells. n=1 has one 's' subshell...n=2 has an 's' and 'p'...there are also d and f subshells and that's usually the farthest out electrons go in a ground state.

Answer 5

It helps if you know something about quantum numbers, orbital theory and all that cool stuff. There are different regions where electrons can orbit the nucleus. The lowest-energy orbital (region of orbit), the s orbital, can only hold 2 electrons. The period 1 elements only have one s orbital, so they can only hold 2 electrons.