Multiple Choice
Which of the following correctly represents the electron configuration for a neutral germanium (Ge) atom using an orbital diagram?
1
views
10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
Struggling with General Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Which of the following represents the ground state electron configuration for selenium (Se)?
A
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^10 4p^6
B
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^8 4p^6
C
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^10 4p^2
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^10 4p^4
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of selenium (Se), which is 34. This means selenium has 34 electrons in its neutral ground state.
Recall the order of filling electron orbitals according to the Aufbau principle: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, etc.
Write the electron configuration by filling orbitals in order until you reach 34 electrons: start with 1s^2 (2 electrons), then 2s^2 (2 electrons), 2p^6 (6 electrons), 3s^2 (2 electrons), 3p^6 (6 electrons), 4s^2 (2 electrons), 3d^{10} (10 electrons), and finally 4p electrons to complete the total of 34.
Calculate how many electrons are in the 4p orbital by subtracting the electrons accounted for in previous orbitals from 34. The remaining electrons go into 4p orbitals.
Confirm that the final electron configuration matches the one with 4p^4 electrons, which corresponds to selenium's ground state configuration.
Related Videos
Related Practice
The Electron Configuration practice set
Problem sets built by lead tutorsExpert video explanations