Multiple Choice
Which of the following represents the complete ground state electron configuration for a nickel (Ni) atom?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
The Electron Configuration
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
How many electrons occupy the 4p orbitals in a neutral vanadium (V) atom?
A
3
B
0
C
5
D
6
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the atomic number of vanadium (V), which tells you the total number of electrons in a neutral atom. Vanadium has an atomic number of 23, so it has 23 electrons.
Write the electron configuration of vanadium by filling orbitals in order of increasing energy using the Aufbau principle: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, then 3d, and finally 4p.
Fill the orbitals with electrons according to the order: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d³. Note that after filling 4s, electrons start filling the 3d orbitals before 4p orbitals.
Since the 4p orbitals come after 3d, and vanadium has only 23 electrons, the 4p orbitals remain unoccupied in the ground state.
Conclude that the number of electrons in the 4p orbitals of a neutral vanadium atom is zero.
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