Valency of Helium (He)
The valency of Helium is 0 — its outer shell is already complete, so it neither loses nor gains electrons in ordinary reactions.
Teachers call it "one fact, fully handled" — exactly what this page does for Helium. The answer sits at the top in bold; scroll for the working, the shell-by-shell breakdown and the two questions students ask most. Need the whole picture instead — history, characteristics, uses, exam questions? The full Helium page is one click away.
Counting the valence electrons
From the configuration 1s^2, Helium's outermost shell carries 2 electrons. These are the electrons shown as dots in electron-dot diagrams — the hands Helium uses to hold other atoms.
Position check: Helium belongs to group 18 of the periodic table, period 1.
Valency vs valence electrons
Valence electrons are what you count (2 for Helium); valency is what the atom will do to complete its outer shell (0 here). Keep the two words straight and half the periodic-table chapter writes itself.
Students also ask
How do I find the valency of Helium from its group?
Helium sits in group 18; groups 13–17 follow valency = group − 10, giving 8 (though Helium also shows 0).
Why does Helium show a fixed valency?
Helium has 2 valence electrons and reaches a complete outer shell in one consistent way, so its valency stays fixed at 0.