Question

Write the electron configurations of a phosphorus (P) atom and its negative ion (P3−).

Option 1: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³ and 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶
Option 2: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³ and 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁴
Option 3: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³ and 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p²
Option 4: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³ and 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁵

Answer 1

The electron configuration of a neutral phosphorus atom is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³, while the electron configuration of the negative ion of phosphorus is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁵.

Step-by-step explanation:

The electron configuration of a neutral phosphorus atom (P) is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p³. This means that it has 2 electrons in the 1s orbital, 2 electrons in the 2s orbital, 6 electrons in the 2p orbital, 2 electrons in the 3s orbital, and 3 electrons in the 3p orbital.

The electron configuration of the negative ion of phosphorus (P3-) is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁵. This means that it has the same electron configuration as the neutral atom, except that it has gained an extra electron in the 3p orbital.