Multiple Choice
Which of the following is the correct electron configuration for the As^{3+} cation?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Which of the following represents the complete ground state electron configuration for a vanadium (V) atom?
A
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^1 3d^4
B
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^3
C
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^5
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^1 3d^5
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Identify the atomic number of vanadium (V), which is 23. This means a neutral vanadium atom has 23 electrons to be placed in orbitals according to the Aufbau principle.
Step 2: Recall the order of orbital filling based on increasing energy levels: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, then 3d. Electrons fill lower energy orbitals first before moving to higher energy orbitals.
Step 3: Write the electron configuration by filling orbitals in order until all 23 electrons are assigned: 1s^2, 2s^2, 2p^6, 3s^2, 3p^6, 4s^2, and then 3d orbitals.
Step 4: Apply Hund's rule and the Pauli exclusion principle when filling the 3d orbitals. Since 3d can hold up to 10 electrons, distribute the remaining electrons (after filling 4s^2) to 3d orbitals, placing one electron in each orbital before pairing.
Step 5: Confirm that the total number of electrons adds up to 23 and that the configuration matches the known ground state for vanadium, which is $1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^3$.
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