What are valence electrons and how do they relate to the noble gases?

Answer 1

Valence electrons are electrons in the outermost shell (or outermost energy level or outermost orbital) in an atom.

Noble gases have 8 valence electrons. But helium (a noble gas) has only 2 valence electrons.

Answer 2

Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level of an atom that are involved in chemical bonding. Noble gases have a full outer shell of valence electrons, making them stable and unreactive. Other elements seek to attain a similar electron configuration to noble gases by gaining, losing, or sharing electrons to achieve stability.