what is the electron configuration for carbon
http://www.webelements.com/carbon/atoms.html
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To determine the electron configuration of carbon, we need to consider the distribution of its electrons in the different energy levels or shells around the nucleus.
The atomic number of carbon is 6, which means it has 6 electrons. The electron configuration of carbon can be determined by following the Aufbau principle, which states that electrons fill the lowest energy levels first, before moving to higher energy levels.
The electron configuration of carbon is: 1s² 2s² 2p²
Here's how you can figure it out:
1. Start by filling the 1s orbital, which can hold a maximum of 2 electrons. Thus, the 1s orbital is filled first with 2 electrons: 1s²
2. Next, move to the 2s orbital, which also can hold a maximum of 2 electrons. Fill this orbital with 2 electrons: 2s²
3. Finally, consider the 2p orbitals. Carbon has three 2p orbitals (2px, 2py, and 2pz), but we only need to fill two of them since we have 2 remaining electrons. Place one electron in each of the 2p orbitals: 2px¹ 2py¹
Combine all the filled orbitals to get the final electron configuration for carbon: 1s² 2s² 2p².