Question

A ground state atom of an element . .

Select one or more:
A)has the most common mass number<
B)has more electrons than proton
C)has electrons occupying the lowest energy orbitals
D)has electrons that occupy higher energy levels than the excited state

Answer 1

The ground state of an atom refers to its most stable arrangement where electrons occupy the lowest energy orbitals. In contrast, an excited state occurs when electrons occupy higher energy levels.

Step-by-step explanation:

An atom in its ground state refers to an atom or ion with its electrons occupying the lowest energy orbitals. This means that the electrons are in the most stable arrangement for that element. In contrast, an atom or ion in an excited state has electrons that occupy higher energy levels. The ground state is the most common state for atoms, as it has the lowest energy and is the most stable.