Multiple Choice
How many electrons can the second electron shell (n = 2) hold?
1
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
How many electrons does a neutral Fe atom have in its 3d subshell?
A
8
B
6
C
5
D
10
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of iron (Fe), which tells you the total number of electrons in a neutral Fe atom. Iron has an atomic number of 26, so it has 26 electrons.
Recall the electron configuration order to determine how these 26 electrons are distributed among the orbitals. The order is 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, then 3d.
Write the electron configuration for Fe: 1s\^2 2s\^2 2p\^6 3s\^2 3p\^6 4s\^2 3d\^6. Note that the 4s orbital fills before the 3d orbital.
Focus on the 3d subshell, which can hold up to 10 electrons. According to the configuration, Fe has 6 electrons in the 3d subshell.
Therefore, the number of electrons in the 3d subshell of a neutral Fe atom is 6.
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