Multiple Choice
Which of the following is the correct electron configuration for a potassium (K) atom in its ground state?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Which of the following is the correct electron configuration for a neutral oxygen atom?
A
1s^2 2s^2 2p^4
B
1s^2 2s^2 2p^5
C
1s^2 2s^2 2p^2
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Determine the atomic number of oxygen, which tells you the number of electrons in a neutral oxygen atom. Oxygen has an atomic number of 8, so it has 8 electrons.
Step 2: Recall the order in which electron orbitals are filled according to the Aufbau principle: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, and so on.
Step 3: Fill the orbitals with electrons starting from the lowest energy level. The 1s orbital can hold 2 electrons, so fill it as $1s^{2}$.
Step 4: Next, fill the 2s orbital with 2 electrons, giving $2s^{2}$.
Step 5: The remaining electrons (8 total - 2 in 1s - 2 in 2s = 4 electrons) go into the 2p orbital, so fill it as $2p^{4}$. Therefore, the electron configuration is $1s^{2} 2s^{2} 2p^{4}$.
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