Final answer:
The electron configuration 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 is possible as it represents the ground state of a neutral zinc atom, hence the correct response to the student's question is option 1: no, because the configuration is not for a charged element or one in an excited state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question, "Is the electron configuration 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d10 possible?" can be approached by examining the rules that govern electron configurations. According to the Aufbau principle, electrons fill orbitals starting at the lowest available energy level before moving to higher levels. As such, once the 4s orbital has two electrons, the next electrons would fill the 3d orbitals. The given configuration exactly follows this order, suggesting that it represents a possible configuration for a given atom or ion.
However, there's a catch: This configuration corresponds to a neutral zinc atom, which has an atomic number of 30. Therefore, the answer is yes, this configuration is possible, but not for a charged element or one in an excited state since it is the ground state electron configuration for zinc. Thus, the correct answer to the student's question is option 1: no, because the question seems to imply that the configuration is for a charged or excited state, which it is not.