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The ground-state electron configuration for an element contains three unpaired 4p electrons.

a) True
b) False

User Manshu
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Final answer:

The statement is false because the configuration with three unpaired 4p electrons would correspond to an element in Group 15 of the 4th period such as arsenic, not nitrogen which has unpaired electrons in the 2p sublevel.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement is false. The ground-state electron configuration for an element with three unpaired 4p electrons would correspond to an element in the p-block of the periodic table, specifically in Group 15 (VA), since its p orbital would be half-filled.

The elements in Group 15 (VA) are nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth. For example, the ground-state electron configuration of nitrogen would be 1s² 2s² 2p³, showing three unpaired electrons in the 2p sublevel, not 4p.

For an element to have three unpaired 4p electrons, it must reside in the 4th period and Group 15, like arsenic with the configuration [Ar] 3d²⁰ 4s² 4p³, where 'Ar' denotes the core electrons corresponding to the noble gas argon.

User LuFFy
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