How many valence electrons would be shown in the electron dot diagram of a helium atom?

## Step 1<br />The electron dot diagram, also Lewis dot structure, is a way to represent the valence electrons in an atom. These are the electrons in the outermost shell of an atom that participate in chemical bonding.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />Helium is a noble gas with an atomic number of 2. This means it has 2 electrons in total. <br /><br />## Step 3<br />The electron configuration of helium is \(1s^2\), which indicates that both electrons are in the first energy level (or shell). <br /><br />## Step 4<br />Since helium has only 2 electrons, both of these electrons are considered valence electrons. <br /><br />## Step 5<br />Therefore, in the electron dot diagram of a helium atom, 2 dots would be shown, each representing one of the helium's valence electrons.