How many core electrons are there in a ground state sulfur atom?
S is 16
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p4
The core electrons are the electrons NOT involved in bonding; therefore, count those in shell 1 and 2.
Yaga 9000
To determine the number of core electrons in a ground state sulfur atom, we need to consider the electron configuration of sulfur.
The atomic number of sulfur is 16, which means it has 16 electrons. The electron configuration of sulfur is 1s^2 2s^2 2p^6 3s^2 3p^4.
In this configuration, the electrons in the filled energy levels (n=1, n=2) are considered core electrons.
So, the core electrons in a ground state sulfur atom would be the electrons in the 1s and 2s orbitals.
The 1s orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons, and the 2s orbital can hold a maximum of 2 electrons.
So, the number of core electrons in a ground state sulfur atom would be 2 + 2 = 4.
To determine the number of core electrons in a ground state sulfur atom, you need to know the atomic structure of sulfur.
1. Locate sulfur on the periodic table. Sulfur has an atomic number of 16, which means it has 16 protons in its nucleus.
2. The number of protons in an atom is equal to the number of electrons in a neutral atom. Therefore, sulfur also has 16 electrons.
3. To determine the number of core electrons, you need to subtract the number of valence electrons from the total number of electrons. Valence electrons are the electrons in the outermost energy level or shell.
4. Sulfur belongs to Group 16 (also known as the Oxygen Group), so it has 6 valence electrons.
5. Subtracting the 6 valence electrons from the total 16 electrons will give you the number of core electrons. In this case, sulfur has 16 - 6 = 10 core electrons.
Therefore, a ground state sulfur atom has 10 core electrons.