Multiple Choice
Which of the following best represents the orbital diagram for a ground-state oxygen atom?
2
views
10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
Struggling with General Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Which of the following represents the ground state electron configuration for the element neodymium (Nd, atomic number 60)?
A
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^10 4p^6 5s^2 4d^10 5p^6 6s^2 5d^4
B
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^10 4p^6 5s^2 4d^10 5p^6 6s^2 4f^4
C
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^10 4p^6 5s^2 4d^10 5p^6 6s^2 4f^6
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^6 4s^2 3d^10 4p^6 5s^2 4d^10 5p^6 6s^2 4f^2
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of neodymium (Nd), which is 60. This means the element has 60 electrons to be placed in orbitals according to the Aufbau principle.
Recall the order of orbital filling based on increasing energy levels: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, then 4f orbitals start filling.
Write the electron configuration by filling orbitals in order until you reach 60 electrons. Note that the 4f subshell starts filling after 6s is filled, and it can hold up to 14 electrons.
Determine how many electrons go into the 4f subshell by subtracting the electrons accounted for in all lower energy orbitals from 60. This will give the number of electrons in 4f.
Combine all the filled orbitals to write the full ground state electron configuration for neodymium, ensuring the 4f subshell has the correct number of electrons based on the calculation.
Related Videos
Related Practice
The Electron Configuration practice set
Problem sets built by lead tutorsExpert video explanations