Final answer:
The accurate distribution of electrons for Na, Mg, Ca, Ne, Zn, and Li is: Na: 2, 8, 1; Mg: 2, 8, 2; Ca: 2, 8, 8, 2; Ne: 2, 8; Zn: 2, 8, 18, 2; Li: 2, 1, as mentioned in option (c). These configurations follow the order of filling electron shells and the structure of the periodic table.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct distribution of electrons on the shells for each given element is as follows:
- Na (Sodium): 2, 8, 1
- Mg (Magnesium): 2, 8, 2
- Ca (Calcium): 2, 8, 8, 2
- Ne (Neon): 2, 8
- Zn (Zinc): 2, 8, 18, 2
- Li (Lithium): 2, 1
All of these elements fill their electron shells starting from the innermost shell. Lithium, being the lightest element among the given ones, fills its first shell and places its remaining electron in the second shell. Neon, with ten electrons, fills its two electron shells completely, making it an inert gas. Sodium, just beyond neon on the periodic table, places its eleventh electron in the next available shell, the 3s orbital. Hence, the most accurate distribution of electrons among the options provided is answer (c), which reflects the guiding principles of electron configuration and the structure of the periodic table.