While the Maximum Number of Electrons Required to Fill the Outermost

Multiple Choice

While the maximum number of electrons required to fill the outermost shell of an atom varies depending on the size of the atom, almost all of the smaller atoms (atomic numbers 2-20) are considered stable, and thus nonreactive, when they contain ________ electron(s) in the outermost shell.

A) 1
B) 2
C) 8
D) 16