Question

Compare and contrast the locations of the 31st and 35th electrons in a krypton atom?

A. Both electrons are in the same energy level. The 31st electron has lower energy than the 35th electron.
B. The 31st electron is in the first energy level, while the 35th electron is in the second energy level.
C. The 31st electron is in the second energy level, while the 35th electron is in the first energy level.
D. Both electrons are in the same energy level. The 35th electron has lower energy than the 31st electron.

Answer 1

The 31st and 35th electrons in a krypton atom both occupy the 4p subshell and are in the same energy level; neither has lower energy than the other.

Step-by-step explanation:

The comparison between the locations of the 31st and 35th electrons in a krypton atom pertains to their positions in energy levels and subshell configurations. Krypton (Kr) has an atomic number of 36, which means a neutral krypton atom contains 36 electrons. According to the electron configuration of krypton, the first 2 electrons fill the 1s subshell, the next 2 electrons fill the 2s subshell, 6 fill the 2p subshell, 2 fill the 3s subshell, 6 fill the 3p subshell, 2 fill the 3d subshell, 8 fill the 4s and 4p subshells, and the 5th shell starts with the 4d subshell.

By this order, the 31st electron would be located in the 4p subshell and the 35th electron would also be in the 4p subshell, making the correct answer A: Both electrons are in the same energy level. The 31st electron does not have lower energy than the 35th electron; instead, they have approximately equivalent energy as they are in the same subshell.