What is referred to by noble gas configuration?

Noble gas configuration refers to the electronic structure of atoms that exhibit a full outer shell of electrons, typically achieving a stable octet. This configuration is characteristic of noble gases, such as helium, neon, and argon, which have complete outer electron shells and do not readily participate in chemical reactions.

Attracting attention to option B, having a full octet of valence electrons is significant because elements tend to undergo chemical reactions to attain this stable arrangement. For instance, many elements will either lose, gain, or share electrons in order to achieve the electron configuration that resembles that of the nearest noble gas.

The other options do not accurately describe noble gas configuration. A partial filling of electron shells may refer to atoms that are still reactive and do not have the stability associated with noble gases. The arrangement of only s and p orbitals does not encompass the complete picture of electron configuration, as noble gas configurations can also include d and f orbitals in heavier elements. Additionally, a mixture of different electron configurations does not represent the stability and uniformity associated with the noble gas structure. Therefore, the concept of noble gas configuration is best captured by the full octet of valence electrons, which is crucial for chemical stability.