Question

State the electron arrangements of the following species:
a. Mg
b. N3-

Answer 1

Magnesium has an electron configuration of 1s²2s²2p¶3s²2, and the nitride ion has an expanded configuration similar to neon with 1s²2s²2p¶6, due to the gain of three electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student is asking about the electron arrangements for magnesium (Mg) and the nitride ion (N3-).

For magnesium (Mg), which has an atomic number of 12, the electron configuration is 1s22s22p63s2. Magnesium's electron arrangement represents a neutral atom with the outermost electrons occupying the 3s subshell.

For the nitride ion (N3-), which is the ion formed when nitrogen gains three electrons, the configuration would be 1s22s22p6. In this case, nitrogen has a similar electron arrangement to the noble gas neon, resulting from the addition of three electrons to fill the 2p orbitals.