Final answer:
The correct ground-state electron configuration of tungsten is [Xe] 6s2 4f14 5d4, which is option C. This is determined by starting with the closed-shell configuration of xenon and filling the remaining subshells in order according to the rules of electron configuration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ground-state electron configuration of tungsten (W) should be determined using the Aufbau principle, Hund's rule, and the Pauli exclusion principle. The atomic number of tungsten is 74, meaning it has 74 electrons.
The closest noble gas to tungsten is xenon (Xe), with 54 electrons. Therefore, the electron configuration will start with [Xe]. The remaining 20 electrons must be placed in the 6s, 4f, and 5d subshells. The 6s subshell can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, while the 4f can hold up to 14 electrons and the 5d subshell can hold up to 10 electrons.
Following the order of filling, 6s is filled before 4f, and both are filled before 5d. Tungsten will have 2 electrons in the 6s subshell, a completed 4f subshell with 14 electrons, and 4 electrons in the 5d subshell. Therefore, the correct ground-state electron configuration of tungsten is [Xe] 6s2 4f14 5d4, which corresponds to option C.