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What is incorrect about the atomic orbital arrangement of electrons in this model? How should they be arranged?

What is incorrect about the atomic orbital arrangement of electrons in this model-example-1

1 Answer

4 votes
Answer:

The model is incorrect because the first main energy level can only have two electrons and it shows five.

The electrons should be arranged in two concentric circles, each for one main energy level: 2 electrons must be on the inner circle (first energy level) and 3 electrons on the outer circle (second main energy level).

Step-by-step explanation:


This model is used to indicate the electrons according to the main energy level (main quantum number).

The main energy levels or quantum numbers anre 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, .....

And these are the number of electrons that can be on each of those energy levels:

Main quantum number maximim number of electrons

1 2
2 8
3 18
4 32

The atom shown has five electrons. Accorgin with the table above, only two of those electrons may be in the first main energy level, the other three go on the second level.

Therefore, the model is incorrect because the first main energy level can only have two electrons and it shows five.

This model must show two concentric circles to arrange the five electrons,each for every main energy level or main quantum number, then 2 electrons must be arranged on the inner circle and 3 electrons on the outer circle.

User Aleksei Khatkevich
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