Multiple Choice
How many energy shells are present in a neutral zinc (Zn) atom?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Which of the following electron configurations correctly represents a neutral nitrogen atom?
A
1s^2 2s^1 2p^4
B
1s^2 2s^2 2p^3
C
1s^2 2s^2 2p^5
D
1s^2 2s^2 2p^6
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Identify the atomic number of nitrogen, which tells us the number of electrons in a neutral nitrogen atom. Nitrogen has an atomic number of 7, so it has 7 electrons.
Step 2: Recall the order in which electrons fill atomic orbitals according to the Aufbau principle: electrons fill orbitals starting from the lowest energy level to higher ones, following the sequence 1s, 2s, 2p, etc.
Step 3: Distribute the 7 electrons into the orbitals following the order and the maximum number of electrons each orbital can hold: 1s can hold 2 electrons, 2s can hold 2 electrons, and 2p can hold up to 6 electrons.
Step 4: Fill the 1s orbital first with 2 electrons, then the 2s orbital with 2 electrons, and place the remaining 3 electrons in the 2p orbitals, resulting in the configuration 1s^2 2s^2 2p^3.
Step 5: Compare this configuration to the options given and confirm that 1s^2 2s^2 2p^3 correctly represents the electron configuration of a neutral nitrogen atom.
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