Multiple Choice
How many electrons are required to completely fill a 2p molecular orbital (MO)?
2
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Which of the following represents the electron configuration of an oxygen atom in the ground state?
A
1s^2 2s^2 2p^2
B
1s^2 2s^2 3s^2
C
1s^2 2s^2 2p^4
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that the atomic number of oxygen is 8, which means an oxygen atom has 8 electrons in its neutral ground state.
Understand that electron configurations are written by filling orbitals in order of increasing energy, following the Aufbau principle: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, and so on.
Distribute the 8 electrons into the orbitals starting from the lowest energy level: fill 1s with 2 electrons, then 2s with 2 electrons, and then place the remaining 4 electrons in the 2p orbitals.
Write the electron configuration by indicating the number of electrons in each subshell: $1s^2 2s^2 2p^4$.
Compare this configuration with the given options to identify the correct one representing oxygen in its ground state.
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