Question

13 Select the correct answer. A carbon atom has six electrons. How are these electrons shared in its atomic orbital shells? A. The inner shell contains two electrons and the outer shell contains four electrons. B. The inner shell contains four electrons and the outer shell contains two electrons . C. Both shells contain three electrons each.

Answer 1

A carbon atom has two electrons in the inner shell and four in the outer shell, adhering to Hund's rule for electron configuration.

Step-by-step explanation:

A carbon atom has six electrons, and it distributes these electrons across its atomic orbitals in a specific way. According to the classification of atomic orbitals, the first two electrons fill the innermost shell, the 1s orbital, making it complete.

The next two electrons go into the 2s orbital, and finally, the remaining two electrons are placed into the 2p orbital. Following Hund's rule, electrons occupy different p orbitals before they pair up, resulting in two unpaired electrons in separate 2p orbitals.

So, option A is correct: The inner shell contains two electrons, and the outer shell contains four electrons.