Multiple Choice
How many electrons are present in the n = 3 shell of a neutral carbon atom?
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10. Periodic Properties of the Elements
Valence Electrons of Elements
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How many unpaired electrons does a sulfur (S) atom have in its ground state electron configuration?
A
2
B
6
C
4
D
0
Verified step by step guidance1
Write the atomic number of sulfur (S), which is 16. This tells us sulfur has 16 electrons in its neutral ground state.
Determine the electron configuration of sulfur by filling orbitals in order of increasing energy: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, and 3p. The configuration is $1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^4$.
Focus on the outermost electrons in the 3p subshell, since the inner shells are fully filled and have paired electrons. The 3p subshell can hold up to 6 electrons, but sulfur has 4 electrons in 3p.
Apply Hund's rule to the 3p subshell: electrons fill degenerate orbitals singly first, with parallel spins, before pairing up. So, place one electron in each of the three 3p orbitals, then pair the fourth electron with one of the singly occupied orbitals.
Count the number of unpaired electrons in the 3p subshell after applying Hund's rule. This number corresponds to the number of unpaired electrons in the sulfur atom's ground state.
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