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Ch. 2 - General Chemistry Translated: Finding the Electrons
Mullins - Organic Chemistry: A Learner Centered Approach 1st Edition
Mullins1st EditionOrganic Chemistry: A Learner Centered ApproachISBN: 9780137566471Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 1, Problem 14d

How many electrons does an atom of each of the following elements need to lose to achieve a noble gas configuration? By losing that many electrons, which noble gas configuration is achieved?
(d) Potassium

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1
Determine the atomic number of potassium (K) from the periodic table. Potassium has an atomic number of 19, meaning it has 19 protons and, in its neutral state, 19 electrons.
Write the electron configuration of potassium. The configuration is: 1s22s22p63s23p64s1. Notice that the outermost electron is in the 4s orbital.
To achieve a noble gas configuration, potassium needs to lose its single 4s electron. This will leave it with the electron configuration of 1s22s22p63s23p6, which corresponds to the noble gas argon (Ar).
Identify the number of electrons lost. Potassium loses 1 electron to achieve the noble gas configuration of argon.
Conclude that potassium needs to lose 1 electron to achieve the noble gas configuration of argon (Ar).

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Noble Gas Configuration

Noble gas configuration refers to the electron arrangement of noble gases, which have full outer electron shells, making them stable and unreactive. Atoms tend to lose, gain, or share electrons to achieve this stable configuration, typically resembling that of the nearest noble gas in the periodic table.
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Ionization and Electron Loss

Ionization is the process by which an atom loses or gains electrons to form ions. For metals like potassium, losing electrons results in a positively charged ion (cation). Understanding how many electrons an atom needs to lose to reach a noble gas configuration is crucial for predicting its chemical behavior.
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Periodic Table Trends

The periodic table organizes elements based on their atomic number and electron configurations, revealing trends in reactivity and ionization. Elements in the same group, like alkali metals including potassium, exhibit similar properties, such as the tendency to lose one electron to achieve a stable noble gas configuration, specifically that of argon.
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