Hi! Can somebody please help me with a coupla questions? Thanks loads!!!
Describe physical and chemical properties of isotopes of the same element.
Given the electron configuration of an element, how can you tell whether it represents the element in its ground or excited state?
The density would be different, but all other things I can think of would be the same.
If at ground state, the configuration is the lowest possible.
What do you mean by its the lowest possible?
For example, look at K.
19K is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1 represents the lowest energy state for K.
Anything other than this; i.e.,
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 5s1 would not be its ground state.
OR 1s1 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1 5s1 would not be its ground state.
So basically, if the configuration isn't as it is supposed to be, then it isn't at ground state?
That's correct! The ground state electron configuration is the arrangement of electrons in an atom or ion that corresponds to the lowest energy level. It represents the most stable and lowest-energy state for that element. So, if the electron configuration is different from what is expected for the element, then it is not in its ground state.
For example, let's take the element potassium (K) with an atomic number of 19. The ground state electron configuration for potassium is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1. This configuration indicates that the first energy level has 2 electrons, the second energy level has 8 electrons, and the third energy level has 9 electrons. The 4s subshell has one electron, which is the valence electron.
If we have a configuration like 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 5s1 or 1s1 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s1 5s1, it means that an electron has been excited to a higher energy level than the ground state. Excitation can occur when energy is absorbed by the atom, for example, through the absorption of light or heat. In excited states, electrons occupy higher energy levels, creating temporary imbalances within the electron configuration.
So, by comparing the given electron configuration to the ground state electron configuration for the element, you can determine whether it represents the element in its ground or excited state.