Question

Given 2100 k for sodium, compute the ratio of the number of atoms in the 3p excited state to the number in the ground state in a natural gas/air flame. Which property should be considered to determine this ratio?

A) Atomic mass
B) Excitation energy
C) Ionization potential
D) Electron configuration

Answer 1

The property that should be considered to determine the ratio of the number of atoms in the 3p excited state to the number in the ground state in a natural gas/air flame is the electron configuration.

Step-by-step explanation:

The property that should be considered to determine the ratio of the number of atoms in the 3p excited state to the number in the ground state in a natural gas/air flame is D) Electron configuration.

The electron configuration of an atom describes the arrangement of electrons in different energy levels or orbitals. In this case, we are comparing the number of atoms in the 3p excited state to the number in the ground state, so the electron configuration is what we need to consider. The 3p excited state refers to the electrons in the 3p orbital, while the ground state refers to the electrons in their lowest energy state.