Electron Configuration of Xenon (Xe)
Xenon (Xe, Z = 54) has the electron configuration [Kr] 4d^10 5s^2 5p^6, filling 5 shells with 2, 8, 18, 18, 8 electrons.
Looking for Xenon's electron configuration without wading through a whole chapter? Here is the direct answer first, then the tables and derivations examiners want to see. Every number on this page comes from the same engine that powers the interactive table. Need the whole picture instead — history, characteristics, uses, exam questions? The full Xenon page is one click away.
Xenon: every subshell, one by one
Read the configuration like a receipt: each line is one subshell, and the running total climbs exactly to 54 electrons — never one more, never one less.
| Subshell | Electrons | Total so far |
|---|---|---|
| [Kr] | 0 | 36 |
| 4d | 10 | 46 |
| 5s | 2 | 48 |
| 5p | 6 | 54 |
Electrons per shell (K, L, M…)
Grouped by principal quantum number instead of subshell, Xenon carries 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 18 in shell 4, 8 in shell 5. The outermost shell holds 8 electrons — the ones that do all the bonding.
How to derive it yourself
Follow the aufbau order (1s → 2s → 2p → 3s → 3p → 4s → 3d → …), pouring 54 electrons into orbitals of capacity 2 (s), 6 (p), 10 (d) and 14 (f) until none remain. Write the filled inner shells as the nearest noble-gas core — for Xenon that gives [Kr] 4d^10 5s^2 5p^6.
Students also ask
How many electron shells does Xenon have?
Xenon is in period 5, so its electrons occupy 5 shells, holding 2, 8, 18, 18, 8 electrons respectively.
How many valence electrons does Xenon have?
Its outermost shell holds 8 electrons, so Xenon has 8 valence electrons that take part in bonding.
What is the noble-gas shorthand for Xenon?
The shorthand form is exactly [Kr] 4d^10 5s^2 5p^6.