Question

What additional information do we need to answer the question "Which ion has the electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶"?

a) Charge of the ion
b) Mass of the ion
c) Atomic number of the ion
d) None of the above

Answer 1

To identify the ion with the electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶, we need to know its charge, which indicates the number of electrons added or subtracted from the noble gas Argon (Ar).

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine which ion has the electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶, we need to know the charge of the ion. The electron configuration given represents an atom that has filled the first three energy levels, which corresponds to the noble gas Argon (Ar), with an atomic number of 18.

However, since ions have gained or lost electrons, the number of electrons will be different from neutral Argon. Knowing the charge allows us to determine how many electrons have been added or removed, thus identifying the ion.