Multiple Choice
Which element has the electron configuration 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^5?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Which one of the following is the correct electron configuration for a ground-state nitrogen atom?
A
1s^2 2s^1 2p^4
B
1s^2 2s^2 2p^3
C
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^5
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Identify the atomic number of nitrogen, which is 7. This means a neutral nitrogen atom has 7 electrons to arrange in its electron configuration.
Step 2: Recall the order in which electrons fill atomic orbitals, following the Aufbau principle: electrons fill orbitals starting from the lowest energy level to higher ones. The order for the first 10 electrons is 1s, 2s, then 2p.
Step 3: Fill the 1s orbital first with 2 electrons: $1s^2$. Then fill the 2s orbital with 2 electrons: $2s^2$. This accounts for 4 electrons so far.
Step 4: Place the remaining 3 electrons in the 2p orbitals. Since 2p can hold up to 6 electrons, and nitrogen has 3 electrons left, the configuration is $2p^3$.
Step 5: Combine all parts to write the full ground-state electron configuration for nitrogen as $1s^2 2s^2 2p^3$, which matches the correct answer.
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