Question

Identify the element represented by the electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶4s²3d¹⁰4p⁵.

A) Phosphorus (P)
B) Sulfur (S)
C) Chlorine (Cl)
D) Bromine (Br)

Answer 1

The element represented by the electron configuration is Chlorine (Cl).

Step-by-step explanation:

The electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶4s²3d¹⁰4p⁵ represents the element chlorine (Cl).

The electron configuration of an element represents the arrangement of electrons in its atomic orbitals. In this electron configuration, the numbers and letters represent different energy levels and sublevels.

Breaking down the electron configuration:

1. 1s² represents the 1s orbital, which can hold up to 2 electrons.
2. 2s² represents the 2s orbital, which can hold up to 2 electrons.
3. 2p⁶ represents the 2p orbital, which can hold up to 6 electrons.
4. 3s² represents the 3s orbital, which can hold up to 2 electrons.
5. 3p⁶ represents the 3p orbital, which can hold up to 6 electrons.
6. 4s² represents the 4s orbital, which can hold up to 2 electrons.
7. 3d¹⁰ represents the 3d orbital, which can hold up to 10 electrons.
8. 4p⁵ represents the 4p orbital, which can hold up to 5 electrons.

By adding up the number of electrons in each orbital, we find that the total number of electrons is 17, which corresponds to the element chlorine (Cl) on the periodic table.