Answer to Question #134938 in Inorganic Chemistry for NISAA

Question

An atom X contains eight electrons in s orbitals, twelve electron in p orbitals, and eight electrons in d orbitals. Write the electronic configuration of X and determine what is atom X?

Answer 1

atoms have four types of orbitals s,p,d,f

s orbital takes a maximum of 2 electrons

p orbital takes a maximum of 6 electrons

d takes a maximum of 10 electrons

f takes a maximum of 14 electrons

according Pauli's exclusion principle electrons fill up in a certian order depending on their energies

if a shell or orbital is filled electrons move to the next orbital

atom x will have s orbital electrons as 1s²2s²3s²4s²

p orbital electrons as 2p⁶3p⁶

d orbital electrons as 3d¹⁰

the electron configuration of x = 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶4s²3d¹⁰

the atom x has a total of 8+12+10 = 30 electrons , since the number of electrons equal to number of protons (atomic number) ,atom x is zinc