Question

a neutral atom has the following electron configuration:
$\ce{ne 3s^1}$
what is the chemical symbol for the atom?
how many electrons does the atom have?
how many $3s$ electrons are in the atom?

Explanation:

Step1: Find Ne's electron count

Neon (Ne) has an atomic number of 10, so it has 10 electrons.

Step2: Add valence electrons

The atom has an additional $3s^1$ electron, so total electrons = $10 + 1 = 11$.

Step3: Identify the element

An atom with 11 electrons (neutral, so 11 protons) is sodium, symbol Na.

Step4: Count 3s electrons

The configuration explicitly shows $3s^1$, so 1 electron in 3s.

Answer:

1. Chemical symbol: Na
2. Total electrons: 11
3. 3s electrons: 1