Final answer:
Zinc's neutral electron configuration is [Ar]4s²3d¹⁰, indicating a full 3d sublevel that provides stability when forming Zn²⁺ ions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The electron configuration for a neutral atom of zinc (Zn) can be written as [Ar]4s²3d¹⁰. This indicates that zinc has the same electronic structure as the noble gas argon (Ar), followed by two electrons in the 4s orbital and ten electrons in the 3d orbital. When zinc loses two electrons to form a Zn²⁺ ion, it retains the complete 3d sublevel, giving it a stable pseudo noble-gas electron configuration. This is in contrast to elements such as scandium (Sc), which upon losing electrons, achieve the noble gas configuration of the preceding noble gas.