Question

How many electrons in a sodium atom are in the n=3 state?

1) 0
2) 1
3) 2
4) 3

Answer 1

There are 0 electrons in the n=3 state for a sodium atom.

Step-by-step explanation:

The electron configuration for sodium shows that there are ten core electrons and one valence electron in the third energy level. When sodium loses the single valence electron, forming the cation Na+, the electron configuration is now identical to that of neon, a stable noble gas with eight valence electrons. Therefore, there are 0 electrons in the n=3 state for a sodium atom.

Answer 2

The electron configuration of a sodium atom is denoted as [Ne] 3s¹ [Ne], indicating the arrangement of its electrons in different energy levels. In a sodium atom, there is 1 electron in the n=3 state. So, the option 2 is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The electron configuration of a sodium atom is denoted as [Ne] 3s¹ [Ne], indicating the arrangement of its electrons in different energy levels.

This configuration implies that sodium has an electron arrangement equivalent to that of neon ([Ne]) in the lower energy levels, while having one additional electron in the n=3 state.

In simpler terms, the outermost shell, represented by the 3s orbital, accommodates a single electron.

Therefore, the correct interpretation is that there is one electron in the n=3 state.

Expressed differently, sodium's electron arrangement can be succinctly stated as having the noble gas configuration of neon and an additional electron in the third energy level.

Consequently, the accurate response to the number of electrons in the n=3 state for a sodium atom is option 2), which correctly indicates the presence of 1 electron in this state.