Question

How many electrons occupy p orbitals in a(n) bismuth atom?
? =electrons

Answer 1

A bismuth atom, with an atomic number of 83, has a total of 27 electrons occupying its p orbitals, considering the fillings of the 2p, 3p, 4p, 5p, and 6p subshells.

Step-by-step explanation:

The number of electrons that occupy p orbitals in a bismuth atom can be determined by looking at its electron configuration. Bismuth has an atomic number of 83, which means it has 83 electrons. Its electron configuration ends in 6p³. Therefore, to find the total number of electrons in p orbitals, we count all the electrons in the 2p, 3p, 4p, 5p, and 6p orbitals.

Each p subshell can hold a maximum of 6 electrons (2 per each of the three orbitals). The electron configuration reflecting the filling of p orbitals for bismuth is:

2p¶ (6 electrons in 2p)

3p¶ (6 electrons in 3p)

4p¶ (6 electrons in 4p)

5p¶ (6 electrons in 5p)

6p³ (3 electrons in 6p)

Adding these together, 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 3 equals 27. Therefore, there are 27 electrons that occupy the p orbitals in a bismuth atom.

Answer 2

33 p eletrons would be the total.
If you look at the electron configuration for Bi, it is [Xe] 6s2 4f14 5d10 6p3. Note that the 1p, 2p, 3p, 4p, and 5p orbitals (3 of each type) are all full. That's 15 p orbitals x 2 electrons per orbital = 30 electrons. Add to that the three 6p electrons for a total of 33 p electrons.