Multiple Choice
What is the ground-state electron configuration for cadmium (Cd), atomic number 48, in noble-gas shorthand notation?
30
views
9. Electrons in Atoms and the Periodic Table
The Electron Configuration (Simplified)
Multiple Choice
The electron configuration corresponds to which element?
A
Chlorine (Cl)
B
Krypton (Kr)
C
Bromine (Br)
D
Selenium (Se)
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the electron configuration given: \(s^{2} p^{6} s^{2} p^{6} s^{2} p^{6} s^{2} d^{10} p^{5}\). This notation represents the filling of electron orbitals in order.
Group the orbitals by their principal energy levels and subshells to understand the sequence: the configuration shows multiple full s and p subshells, followed by a filled d subshell and a p subshell with 5 electrons.
Recall the order of filling orbitals according to the Aufbau principle: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, etc. The presence of \(d^{10}\) indicates the filling of the transition metal d-block, which occurs after the 4s orbital.
Count the total number of electrons represented by the configuration to determine the atomic number. Each superscript indicates the number of electrons in that subshell; sum them all to find the total.
Match the total number of electrons (atomic number) to the element on the periodic table. The element with this atomic number corresponds to the given electron configuration.
Related Videos
Related Practice
