18 Ar 39.948

Argon

noble gas

Properties

Atomic number
18
Atomic mass
39.948 u
Category
noble gas
Group
18
Period
3
Block
p-block
State (room temp)
Gas
Outer-shell electrons
8
Electronegativity
Density
Melting point
-189.34 °C
Boiling point
-185.85 °C

Electron configuration

1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶

Noble-gas shorthand: [Ne] 3s² 3p⁶

Electrons per shell: 2, 8, 8 — that's 8 in the outermost shell.

See how electron configuration is built →

Ar
Bohr model — outer-shell electrons in blue

About Argon

Argon is a chemical element with symbol Ar and atomic number 18. It is in group 18 of the periodic table and is a noble gas. Argon is the third most common gas in the Earth's atmosphere, at 0.934% (9,340 ppmv), making it over twice as abundant as the next most common atmospheric gas, water vapor (which averages about 4000 ppmv, but varies greatly), and 23 times as abundant as the next most common non-condensing atmospheric gas, carbon dioxide (400 ppmv), and more than 500 times as abundant as the next most common noble gas, neon (18 ppmv).

Position in the periodic table

Open the interactive periodic table →

Data compiled from Wikipedia, PubChem, and IUPAC. Source.