Question

Which element has an atom in the ground state with a total of three valence electrons?

(1) aluminum (3) phosphorus
(2) lithium (4) scandium

Answer 1

Aluminum is the element that has an atom in the ground state with a total of three valence electrons

Answer 2

The ground state electron configuration of aluminum is 1s² 2s²2p⁶ 3s² 3p¹

The ground state electron configuration of lithium is 1s² 2s¹

The ground state electron configuration of phosphorous is 1s² 2s²2p⁶ 3s² 3p³

The ground state electron configuration of scandium is 1s² 2s²2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶3d¹ 4s²

In the ground state Al has 3 valence electrons, 2 electrons in the 3s orbital and 1 electron in the 3p orbital. The valence shell of Al is 3.