How do I determine the amount of electrons in highest occupied energy level? Thanks
The elements in Carbon-12, Atomic Number =6, Neutron 6, Electron=6, and Proton= 6. How would I find the electrons in highest occupied energy level?
To determine the number of electrons in the highest occupied energy level of an atom, you need to know the electron configuration of the element. The electron configuration describes the arrangement of electrons in different energy levels or orbitals.
In the case of carbon (C), its atomic number is 6, meaning it has 6 electrons. The electron configuration of carbon can be written using the aufbau principle, which states that electrons fill orbitals in order of increasing energy.
The electron configuration of carbon is 1s² 2s² 2p², which means:
- Carbon has two electrons in the 1s orbital.
- Carbon has two electrons in the 2s orbital.
- Carbon has two electrons in the 2p orbital.
The highest occupied energy level refers to the outermost energy level that contains electrons. In this case, the highest occupied energy level for carbon is the 2nd energy level (2s and 2p orbitals), as these are the outermost orbitals with electrons.
To determine the number of electrons in the highest occupied energy level, you add up the electrons in all the orbitals in that energy level. In the case of carbon, the 2nd energy level contains a total of 4 electrons (2 in the 2s orbital and 2 in the 2p orbital). Therefore, carbon has 4 electrons in its highest occupied energy level.
In summary, to determine the number of electrons in the highest occupied energy level of an element, you need to know the electron configuration and identify the outermost energy level with electrons.