A neutral oxygen atom has a total of 8 electrons. These electrons are arranged in two electron shells. In the first electron shell, there are 2 electrons, which is the maximum that this shell can hold. The remaining 6 electrons occupy the second electron shell.
This arrangement is due to the rules governing electron configuration, where the first shell can hold up to 2 electrons, and the second shell can hold up to 8 electrons. Since oxygen has 8 electrons, it fulfills the requirement for the first shell and has additional electrons in the second shell, making it a stable element in terms of its electron configuration.