Multiple Choice
Which of the following represents the complete ground state electron configuration for a vanadium (V) atom?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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How many electron shells are present in a neutral potassium (K) atom?
A
4
B
5
C
2
D
3
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that the number of electron shells in an atom corresponds to the principal quantum number (n) of the highest energy level that contains electrons.
Determine the atomic number of potassium (K), which is 19. This means a neutral potassium atom has 19 electrons.
Write the electron configuration of potassium to see how these 19 electrons are distributed among the shells: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s¹.
Identify the highest principal quantum number (n) in the electron configuration. Here, the highest n is 4 (from the 4s¹ electron).
Conclude that the number of electron shells in a neutral potassium atom is equal to this highest principal quantum number, which is 4.
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