Multiple Choice
Which principal quantum number (n) corresponds to the lowest possible energy level that an electron can occupy in an atom?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Which of the following is a possible excited state electron configuration for a nitrogen atom?
A
1s^2 2s^2 2p^4
B
1s^2 2s^2 2p^2
C
1s^2 2s^1 2p^4
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^3
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Recall the ground state electron configuration of a nitrogen atom. Nitrogen has an atomic number of 7, so it has 7 electrons. The ground state configuration fills the orbitals in order of increasing energy: $1s^2 2s^2 2p^3$.
Step 2: Understand what an excited state means. An excited state occurs when one or more electrons absorb energy and move to a higher energy orbital, leaving a lower energy orbital partially filled or less than fully occupied.
Step 3: Analyze each given configuration to see if it can be derived from the ground state by promoting electrons to higher orbitals without violating the Pauli exclusion principle or the maximum number of electrons per orbital.
Step 4: For the configuration $1s^2 2s^1 2p^4$, note that one electron from the $2s$ orbital has been promoted to the $2p$ orbital. This is a valid excited state because the total number of electrons remains 7, and the electron distribution respects orbital capacities.
Step 5: Confirm that other configurations either represent the ground state or are not possible excited states due to incorrect electron counts or impossible electron distributions.
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