Question: how many electrons are contained in silicon’s outermost energy level?
Answer: Consider the element silicon (atomic symbol Si). Silicon is composed of 14 electrons, 14 protons, and (in most cases) 14 neutrons. In its ground state, silicon has two electrons in the n = 1 energy level, eight in the n = 2 energy level, and four in the n = 3 energy level, as shown on the energy diagram to the left.