Multiple Choice
Which of the following condensed electron configurations represents a noble gas in its ground state?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration: Condensed
Multiple Choice
Which of the following represents the condensed (noble gas) electron configuration of barium?
A
[Ba] 6s2
B
[Xe] 6s2
C
[Xe] 5d2
D
[Kr] 5s2 4d10 5p6 6s2
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of barium (Ba), which is 56. This tells us how many electrons the neutral atom has.
Recall that the noble gas shorthand electron configuration uses the electron configuration of the previous noble gas as a starting point. Find the noble gas that comes before barium in the periodic table.
Determine the electron configuration of that noble gas. For barium, the previous noble gas is xenon (Xe), which has 54 electrons.
Write the electron configuration starting with [Xe], then add the remaining electrons that complete barium's configuration. Since barium has 56 electrons, add the last two electrons after xenon.
Recognize that the last two electrons for barium fill the 6s orbital, so the condensed electron configuration is [Xe] 6s2.
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