Multiple Choice
What is the maximum number of electrons that can occupy a single p orbital?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Which element in the ground state has exactly 3 electrons in the 2p sublevel?
A
Boron (B)
B
Carbon (C)
C
Nitrogen (N)
D
Oxygen (O)
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall the electron configuration notation, which describes the distribution of electrons in an atom's orbitals, starting from the lowest energy level (1s) upwards.
Identify the 2p sublevel, which is the set of three p orbitals in the second principal energy level (n=2). Each p orbital can hold up to 2 electrons, so the 2p sublevel can hold a maximum of 6 electrons.
Write the electron configurations for the elements given: Boron (B), Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N), and Oxygen (O), focusing on how many electrons occupy the 2p sublevel.
For example, Nitrogen (N) has 7 electrons total. The first 2 fill the 1s orbital, the next 2 fill the 2s orbital, and the remaining 3 electrons go into the 2p sublevel, giving exactly 3 electrons in 2p.
Confirm that the other elements have different numbers of electrons in the 2p sublevel: Boron has 1, Carbon has 2, and Oxygen has 4 electrons in 2p, so Nitrogen is the element with exactly 3 electrons in the 2p sublevel.
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