Multiple Choice
How many 5d orbitals are present in an atom?
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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 nickel (Ni) atom?
A
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 3d^8 4s^2
B
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^1 3d^9
C
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^{10}
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^8
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Identify the atomic number of nickel (Ni), which is 28. This means a neutral Ni atom has 28 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 ones.
Step 3: Begin filling the orbitals with electrons: 1s can hold 2 electrons, 2s holds 2, 2p holds 6, 3s holds 2, 3p holds 6, and 4s holds 2. Add these up to see how many electrons are placed so far.
Step 4: After filling 4s with 2 electrons, place the remaining electrons in the 3d orbital. Since Ni has 28 electrons, subtract the electrons already placed in lower orbitals to find how many go into 3d.
Step 5: Confirm that the 3d orbital contains 8 electrons, making the full ground state electron configuration: $1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^8$.
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