Multiple Choice
What is the valence electron configuration for the oxygen atom?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
Valence Electrons of Elements
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For a neutral manganese (Mn) atom, how many electrons occupy the s and p orbitals in its ground-state electron configuration?
A
2 s electrons and 6 p electrons
B
4 s electrons and 10 p electrons
C
5 s electrons and 6 p electrons
D
6 s electrons and 12 p electrons
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Identify the atomic number of manganese (Mn), which tells us the total number of electrons in a neutral atom. Manganese has an atomic number of 25, so it has 25 electrons.
Step 2: Write the ground-state electron configuration of manganese by filling orbitals in order of increasing energy using the Aufbau principle. The configuration is: $1s^2\ 2s^2\ 2p^6\ 3s^2\ 3p^6\ 4s^2\ 3d^5$.
Step 3: Determine which orbitals are s and p orbitals. The s orbitals are $1s$, $2s$, $3s$, and $4s$, while the p orbitals are $2p$ and $3p$ in this configuration.
Step 4: Count the electrons in the s orbitals: $1s^2$, $2s^2$, $3s^2$, and $4s^2$ add up to $2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8$ electrons in s orbitals.
Step 5: Count the electrons in the p orbitals: $2p^6$ and $3p^6$ add up to $6 + 6 = 12$ electrons in p orbitals.
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